First 300 Ghanaians Depart South Africa as Xenophobic Violence Resurfaces

The first flight carrying Ghanaian nationals evacuated from South Africa amid a resurgence of anti-immigrant violence departed Johannesburg on Wednesday morning, Ghana’s foreign ministry confirmed. The plane, initially delayed, was en route to Accra by early afternoon, according to an aide to Ghana’s foreign minister, Fred Duhoe.

Ghana has organized a series of repatriation flights to bring home an estimated 800 of its citizens who requested evacuation after weeks of protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa. The initial flight carries roughly 300 people, the Ghana High Commission in South Africa said, with additional flights expected in the coming days.

An AFP photographer at O.R. Tambo International Airport captured long queues of Ghanaian nationals waiting to board the first plane. Flight tracking site FlightAware showed the aircraft had taken off just after 11:00 a.m. local time, with a scheduled landing in Accra later Wednesday afternoon.

The Ghanaian government has pledged a reintegration package for evacuees, including financial support and psycho-social counseling, to help them settle back home.

South Africa, the continent’s most industrialized economy, has long attracted both legal and undocumented migrant workers from across Africa. However, with unemployment hovering above 30%, anti-immigrant sentiment has flared repeatedly. The latest unrest was triggered in part by a viral video showing the alleged assault of a Ghanaian man, which spread widely on social media and sparked outrage.

This renewed wave of xenophobic violence has reignited uncomfortable debates across the continent, exposing the gap between pan-African ideals of solidarity and the harsh realities of migration, economic strain, and social tension in one of Africa’s wealthiest nations.