After weeks of xenophobic campaigns, anti-migrant groups in South Africa declared an arbitrary “deadline” for all undocumented foreigners to leave the country by 30 June 2026. Vigilante groups for months blocked non-South Africans from accessing hospitals and schools and stoked anger at immigrants, leading to at least 6 people being killed. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes — and the country — in the run-up to 30 June. Many sought refuge in makeshift camps where humanitarian conditions were dire.

Mass protests were held across the country on 30 June, with sporadic attacks and looting reported. Widespread violence was avoided — but the date marked a shift in the country. Millions of foreign nationals (undocumented and documented) now live with the constant fear of violence, with protesters emboldened after their show of force and the government's weak response.

A week after 30 June, anti-foreigner vigilante groups held a “door-to-door” march in Alexandra, Johannesburg, to root out non-South Africans. The march quickly devolved into a free-for-all as the mob systematically pulled out suspected foreigners from their houses and looted foreign-owned shops as the police stood by and watched.