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Johannesburg, South Africa – In a narrow Fordsburg lane in central Johannesburg, Junaid Mohammed* stands behind a family shop that has been in his family for years. His father started it as a wholesaler. Today, it survives on China’s cheap prices and shrinking margins.
Junaid, who asks us to use a pseudonym, doesn’t mention going down. They call it survival.
But the biggest change is not what they sell. He is the one who hires him.
Junaid only hires foreigners as shop assistants and painters. He said: “It was not a deliberate choice.
It started with a tree. That’s a habit. That’s the importance.
He said: “It was expensive to hire local people.”
South Africa’s minimum wage is about $1.87 an hour, about $324 a month, including statutory contributions and strong job security.
Junaid says he can’t carry it.
They pay about $12 a day, minus the minimum wage, and hire workers only when business permits.
He said: “If we do well, we can hire other people, but if we are not busy, we can say that we don’t need it now.”
Pressure beyond the shop
Outside, the pressure is on.
Across South Africa, security forces such as Operation Dudula and the March and March group have carried out “citizen threats” against businesses accused of employing foreign nationals. Some have become violent.
At the same time, the government is stepping up enforcement. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned vigilantism and has promised to hire 10,000 inspectors.
For employers like Junaid, the squeeze now comes from both sides.
Violation of labor laws may result in imprisonment.
He said: “I don’t know what to do.”
Duties, laws, and offenses
Anti-immigrant sentiment has reached a fever pitch. Some groups blame undocumented immigrants for unemployment and demand their deportation.
The government insists that forcing people to follow the law, not politics.
But his language is unintelligible.
“The reason you see a number of companies employing illegal immigrants is because, for them, it’s a cheap job. It’s about exploitation. It’s about making a profit,” South Africa’s Deputy Labor Minister Jomo Sibiya told Al Jazeera.
He added: “When the worker is injured … he has no obligation to take him to the hospital or report it.”
However, they distinguish between salaried and unsalaried workers.
“We are not saying that there should be no foreign nationals coming to work in South Africa… We are saying that we cannot continue to have the opportunity to work with people who are in the country illegally.”
The unemployment rate in South Africa is about 33 percent. Youth unemployment is very high, over 60 percent for 15-24 year olds.
Officials say the lack of jobs has created economic and immigration problems for workers. They argue that employers who hire undocumented immigrants can gain an unfair advantage by offering lower wages and avoiding other benefits that come with the job.
Labor officials also argue that undocumented workers are at greater risk of exploitation because their migration may prevent them from reporting abuse or seeking help from government agencies. This concern has been a major reason for encouraging the government to increase inspections and punish employers found to be violating labor laws.
Supporters of the crackdown say stronger enforcement will help protect labor standards and provide opportunities for South Africans looking for work. Critics, however, question whether immigration enforcement alone can solve the country’s deep-rooted unemployment problem.
In this case, foreign workers have become a political upheaval.
Inner city economy
But in inner city Johannesburg, the picture is mixed.
Loren Landau, a migration researcher at the University of Oxford, says undocumented workers are concentrated in areas that are difficult to control.
“At work… there are many advantages to hiring strangers. You can always threaten to fire them, or not pay them.”
He rejects the idea of easy love.
Of course, employers take advantage.
“I don’t like it by nature. I like to get a big profit.”
The process now goes to law enforcement.
“We are not saying that there should be no foreign nationals coming to work in South Africa… We are saying that we cannot continue to have the opportunity to work with people who are in the country illegally.”
The proposed system imposes fines of up to 1 million South African dollars ($61,700) for hiring undocumented workers.
Deputy Prime Minister Sibiya said the aim is to reduce the demands of the people.
“Stop what you want, and you’ll see fewer people coming to work illegally.”
The city is being rebuilt
But migrants also enter Johannesburg’s economy – running shops, moving goods, promoting trade in inner-city squares.
Urban planner Tanya Zack says responsibility is often overlooked.
“A lot of money made by fast fashion migrants … is essential to the failing inner city. If we invest in security and police to make it safer, you can take a big hit from South Africa’s economy,” he says.
He rejects claims that immigrants live outside the tax system entirely.
“There is no formal financial system. They are using cards and digital banking more and more.”
Cities, he argues, are being redeveloped – policy or not.
Editing without permission
At the bottom, the pressure is visible: attack, arrest, removal. Undocumented immigrants from several African countries are being deported from South Africa, fueling anti-immigration groups.
However, nothing feels permanent.
Landau says the moment is starting to take hold.
“The day after Ramaphosa’s speech… Operation Dudula is back on track. They have no reason to stop,” he said.
“It shows that these movements are effective. This adds fuel to the fire.”
* It is not his real name
