As South Africa prepares for a renewed National Dialogue, questions of identity, justice and belonging have become increasingly urgent. Against a backdrop of persistent inequality, unemployment and recurring incidents of xenophobia, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) hosted a webinar on 26 June 2026 titled “Transforming South Africa’s National Dialogue: Xenophobia and the Unfinished Business of Reparations.” The discussion brought together academics and civil society leaders to examine how xenophobia is connected to South Africa’s unresolved historical injustices and what this means for building a more inclusive democracy.

Opening the discussion, Dr Edknowledge Mandikwaza, Research Fellow at the Centre for Mediation in Africa, remarked that, “South Africa is holding a mirror to itself through the national dialogue that commenced in 2025. That conversation,” he pointed out, “cannot be complete without addressing social cohesion in all its intersecting dimensions. The enduring legacies of colonialism, apartheid, and post-apartheid injustices and trauma continue to shape present-day tensions.”

A central message emerging from the discussion was that xenophobia should not be understood simply as hostility towards migrants. Rather, speakers argued that it reflects deeper structural challenges rooted in the country’s history of colonialism and apartheid, as well as contemporary socio-economic realities. Persistent inequality, unemployment, weak service delivery and declining public trust in institutions continue to create conditions in which migrants are often unfairly blamed for broader systemic failures. Addressing xenophobia therefore requires more than responding to individual incidents; it demands confronting the structural inequalities that continue to shape everyday life.

Co-Organiser of the African Non-State Actors Platform on Migration and Development, Hakima Haithar, explored some of the underlying drivers of xenophobia and proposed recommendations centred on economic justice and redress, trauma healing and reparative justice, education reform and social cohesion, as well as skills development and labour market alignment. “South Africa cannot address xenophobia through law enforcement alone. Sustainable solutions require economic justice, trauma healing, quality education, regional cooperation, and accountable governance,” she said.

Also making the case for addressing xenophobia’s underlying drivers, Preston Govindasamy, IJR’s Project Manager for Southern Africa: Afrobarometer, said, “What we are seeing is a crisis/security response to xenophobia and not a policy response.”

Govindasamy also spoke on the latest Afrobarometer and South African Reconciliation Barometer data that show that anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa is not only erupting in the streets but is also deepening in everyday attitudes. He argued that xenophobia is not only a migration issue; it is also a social cohesion issue, a governance issue and, ultimately, a democratic issue.

Meanwhile, Dr Elijah Masubelele, IJR’s Deputy Executive Director, warned that if South Africa is perceived as hostile to other Africans, it will struggle to attract the intra-African talent and investment needed to sustain its developmental trajectory. He argued that xenophobia is not merely a moral failure but a strategic liability, undermining investor confidence, reducing tourist arrivals, weakening diplomatic standing and regional trade relationships, and limiting the country’s ability to attract and retain human capital.

The webinar also explored the unfinished business of reparations. Participants argued that reparative justice extends beyond financial compensation to include restoring dignity, addressing historical exclusion and creating opportunities for meaningful social and economic transformation. More than three decades into democracy, many South Africans continue to experience the effects of dispossession and inequality, raising important questions about whether the country’s reconciliation process has adequately addressed these enduring injustices. The discussion highlighted that unresolved historical trauma continues to influence present-day experiences of belonging and exclusion.

With regards South Africa’s National Dialogue, participants stressed the importance of ensuring that these conversations are inclusive and reflective of the country’s constitutional values. A meaningful dialogue, they argued, must create space for honest engagement on migration, identity and social cohesion while recognising the dignity and humanity of everyone living in South Africa. Rebuilding trust, strengthening democratic institutions and fostering greater public understanding of migration were identified as essential steps towards a more cohesive society.

The discussion reaffirmed that reconciliation remains an ongoing process rather than a completed chapter in South Africa’s democratic journey. By creating spaces for evidence-based dialogue on complex and often contested issues, IJR continues to contribute to national conversations that seek to address the root causes of exclusion and promote justice, reconciliation and social cohesion.