Nigeria is arranging repatriation flights for at least 130 of its citizens from South Africa following the deaths of two Nigerians and a wave of anti-immigrant protests across major South African cities, the foreign ministry in Abuja said this week.
Several other African governments — Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Ghana — have advised their nationals to stay indoors or remain alert. Mozambique's president met President Cyril Ramaphosa over the weekend and called for de-escalation.
Protesters cite frustration over jobs, housing and crime. Marches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria have at times turned violent, with looting reported in some township shopping precincts. South African police have made dozens of arrests over the past week.
The South African government said some videos circulating on social media depicting attacks on foreign-owned businesses are old, fabricated or shot in other countries, and were being shared deliberately to inflame tensions and damage the country's reputation abroad.
Mr Ramaphosa's government is under pressure from coalition partners to respond more forcefully. The South African Human Rights Commission has called for hate-speech investigations into political figures who have used inflammatory language about migrant communities.
Continental bodies including the African Union and SADC have urged restraint, citing the founding principles of pan-African solidarity. Aid organisations said evacuation logistics for Nigerians would be complete by next week if conditions permit.