NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 4 — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected claims of xenophobia, instead describing migration pressures as a continental challenge that requires African-led solutions, deeper economic integration and shared prosperity across the continent.
Speaking during President William Ruto’s State Visit to Pretoria on Thursday, Ramaphosa said migration featured prominently in bilateral talks as both leaders addressed growing concerns over anti-foreigner sentiment and tensions linked to undocumented migration in South Africa.
“I explained that South Africans are not xenophobic. South Africans are Africans. They want to live with other Africans peacefully,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African leader acknowledged that migration was placing pressure on communities and public services but stressed that the challenge was not unique to South Africa and required collective action from African governments.
“Our people are calling on us as leaders to resolve the many challenges brought about by migration,” he said, adding that Pretoria was taking measures to address the issue.
His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny over the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa following recent protests calling for tougher action against undocumented migrants.
Several African countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, have urged their citizens to remain vigilant amid rising tensions.
Ramaphosa, however, sought to shift the focus away from accusations of xenophobia and toward the underlying economic factors driving migration.
President Ruto echoed the sentiment, arguing that migration pressures are largely the result of uneven economic development across the continent.
“I think part of the challenge South Africa is facing is that it is a much more developed country and therefore it is easier for people to come here in search of services and opportunities,” Ruto said.
“The answer is to ensure that services and opportunities exist everywhere across our continent.”
Ruto linked the migration debate to ongoing African Union reforms, arguing that a stronger and more effective continental body would help African nations create jobs, attract investment and reduce competition over scarce opportunities.
“It is important and imperative for us to create opportunities everywhere in our continent so that Africans can move together in prosperity and not unnecessarily create conflict,” he said.
The two leaders used the occasion to champion the principle of African solutions to African problems, presenting deeper continental integration as a long-term response to migration, trade barriers and security challenges.
Beyond migration, discussions focused on expanding economic cooperation between East and Southern Africa’s two leading economies.
The leaders highlighted progress in addressing trade imbalances, strengthening regional value chains and advancing implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ramaphosa welcomed growing Kenyan exports to South Africa and pointed to the successful launch of the first AfCFTA trade consignment between the two countries as evidence that continental trade integration was beginning to deliver tangible results.
He also praised the visa-free travel arrangement introduced in 2022, saying it had boosted tourism, business travel and cultural exchanges.
“Reducing barriers can bring Africans closer together and advance the vision of Agenda 2063 to build the Africa we want,” Ramaphosa said.
The two countries further committed to strengthening cooperation in green energy, digital trade, transport, maritime affairs, agriculture and skills development, while backing plans to establish a South Africa-Kenya Joint Business Council to deepen private-sector participation in trade and investment.
On regional security, Ruto commended South Africa’s role in peace efforts across the continent, including mediation initiatives in Sudan and South Sudan, and reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to working closely with Pretoria on peace and security matters through the African Union.
The visit also underscored a shared push for reforms of global governance institutions, including the United Nations Security Council and international financial institutions, with both leaders arguing that Africa deserves greater representation in global decision-making.
“Working together, South Africa and Kenya can help shape a peaceful, integrated and thriving African continent,” Ramaphosa said.