‘We are going to pay the price’: Experts warn foreigners leaving SA could affect economy
· Citizen
As the March and March movement continues with multiple follow-up events around the country, experts are warning of the impact of foreigners fleeing South Africa.
Visit saltysenoritaaz.com for more information.
Economist Dawie Roodt said there was an impact on the day of the March and March nationwide protests on 30 June from shop closures, but the effect will be greater over the coming months or even years.
“Those foreign nationals who left the country, whether here legally or illegally, likely contributed more to the economy than they took from it, so it is effectively a loss for us. We will never know the true impact on the economy, but we are going to pay a price for this for a long time, especially in an economy struggling to grow,” he said.
Long-term consequences warning
Political analyst Piet Croucamp said what happened was broadcast worldwide and “it portrays an image of South Africa as an intolerant and violent society, which we are.”
Croucamp said contrary to popular belief, if enough foreigners left, thousands of South Africans would be left unemployed because they do employ people.
“If they do leave the townships, the price of bread and food and goods and services will increase. They have managed to keep the prices low,” he added.
Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse CEO Wayne Duvenage said the return of thousands of both illegal and legally compliant immigrants to neighbouring countries will have left a void and will create vacancies in various industries, which would hopefully lead to the employment of South Africans in the coming months.
More jobs for locals?
North-West University politics lecturer Prof Benjamin Rapanyane said illegal foreigners, mostly Zimbabweans, who were preferred for work on the farms will be replaced by South Africans.
“I have already witnessed a huge change in a village next to mine, where citizens have replaced more than 120 illegal foreigners on the farms,” he added.
TLU chair Bennie van Zyl said while it was true there is a criminal element among undocumented foreigners and that some deprive others of job opportunities, often documented foreign nationals possess a strong work ethic and have become integral to the economy and the agricultural sector.
“Thirty-two years ago, the ANC opened the borders without implementing proper controls or adequate immigration policies. Many have been employed on farms for 20 to 25 years, performing specialised tasks – reflecting the fact that people from Zimbabwe and Malawi are often well-educated.”
Van Zyl said there were cases of foreign nationals who have lived in South Africa for decades, married South Africans and raised families.
The sons work alongside their fathers on the farm, yet now face being sent back home.
Industries monitor impact
Motor Industry Staff Association CEO operations Martlé Keyter said the marches didn’t have a reported impact on the industry, besides having to run operations on skeleton staff and poor sales for the day.
Southern Africa Tourism Services Association CEO David Frost said the association has been monitoring the impact of the marches on the inbound tourism sector and that the marches did not result in any material disruption to tourism operations.
“While there were isolated pockets of protest activity, these were managed through route monitoring and itinerary adjustments where necessary, allowing travel programmes to continue as planned,” he said.
Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa national chair Brett Tungay said the immediate operational impact has been relatively limited from a hospitality industry perspective, with most establishments reporting minimal disruption due to staff leaving or staying away from work during the protest period.
“Our greater concern is the longer-term reputational impact on South Africa as a tourism destination. South Africa has worked hard over the past few years to rebuild international visitor confidence and recover foreign arrivals.
“Any events or narratives that create the perception that foreign nationals or visitors may not feel safe risk undermining that progress,” he added.
Spar dismisses recruitment rumours
Spar Group South Africa spokesperson Mpudi Maubane denied rumours that the company has employed locals to replace foreign nationals.
“We are aware of social media posts falsely claiming that Spar has launched a recruitment drive for 15 000 jobs, including misleading assertions about the reasons these positions have allegedly become available. We categorically reject these claims.”
Maubane said Spar did not advertise 15 000 jobs, and no such recruitment initiative exists.
“As one of SA’s largest employers, Spar creates employment opportunities across its corporate operations, distribution centres and independently owned Spar stores. An ongoing part of operating a business of our scale is through established recruitment processes.”