Who really benefits from illegal immigration in SA?

South Africa’s debate on illegal immigration is often reduced to emotional exchanges, political slogans and accusations of xenophobia. Yet amid the noise, a more fundamental question remains largely unanswered: who really benefits from illegal immigration in South Africa?

Before answering that question, it is important to clarify what is meant by illegal immigration. An illegal immigrant is a foreign national who enters a country without legal authorisation, overstays a visa, or remains in the country without the required documentation. This definition should not be confused with refugees, asylum seekers, or legally documented migrants who have a right to reside and work in South Africa under domestic and international law. Conflating these categories often clouds meaningful discussion and prevents society from addressing the real issues at stake.

South Africa has become one of the primary destinations for migrants on the African continent. Many arrive legally and contribute positively to the economy, academia, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and other sectors. However, there is also a significant population of undocumented migrants whose presence raises questions about governance, security, labour markets and public resource allocation. The critical issue is not whether illegal immigration exists — it clearly does — but rather who gains from its continuation.

Contrary to popular belief, the primary beneficiaries are often not the undocumented migrants themselves. Many live in precarious conditions, face exploitation, earn low wages and remain vulnerable to criminal networks. Instead, the greatest beneficiaries are frequently those who occupy positions of economic and political power.

The first beneficiaries are unscrupulous employers. Across various sectors, including agriculture, construction, hospitality, domestic work and informal trading, undocumented migrants often provide a source of cheap labour.

Employers who knowingly hire individuals without legal documentation can pay below minimum wage, avoid labour regulations, deny benefits, and suppress worker resistance. A worker who fears deportation is less likely to report abuse, join a trade union, or challenge unfair labour practices. In this arrangement, the undocumented migrant becomes a convenient source of labour, while employers enjoy reduced costs and increased profits.

Criminal syndicates

Second, criminal syndicates derive enormous benefits from weak immigration controls. South Africa’s experience with illegal mining, commonly associated with the phenomenon of zama zamas, illustrates this reality.

While public discourse often focuses on the foreign nationals involved in underground mining activities, less attention is paid to those who finance, coordinate and profit from these operations. Illegal mining is not sustained by desperate individuals acting alone. It is sustained by organised criminal networks that facilitate entry into the country, provide equipment, control access to mining sites, and channel illegally extracted minerals into domestic and international markets. The real beneficiaries are often the syndicate leaders, middlemen and corrupt actors who remain largely invisible.

Third, corruption itself flourishes in environments where illegal immigration is poorly managed. Every undocumented migrant who obtains fraudulent documentation, crosses borders through unofficial channels, or evades legal processes creates opportunities for bribery and corruption.

Corrupt officials, whether at border posts, within law enforcement agencies, or in administrative offices, can exploit regulatory weaknesses for personal gain. In this sense, illegal immigration can become part of a broader ecosystem of institutional corruption.

Political actors may also benefit. Across the world, immigration often serves as a convenient political issue. Governments facing economic stagnation, unemployment, crime or service delivery failures may find it politically advantageous to redirect public frustration toward migrants.

Opposition parties may similarly mobilise support by presenting immigration as the primary cause of societal challenges. In both cases, immigration becomes a political tool rather than a policy issue requiring evidence-based solutions. The result is a cycle in which citizens remain divided while deeper structural problems remain unresolved.

This does not mean that concerns about illegal immigration are unfounded. South Africa continues to grapple with high unemployment, strained public services, rising crime, and limited state capacity. Communities often perceive competition over jobs, housing, healthcare, and educational opportunities. These perceptions cannot simply be dismissed. Governments have a legitimate responsibility to secure borders, enforce immigration laws and ensure that migration occurs within a legal framework.

Inaccurate and dangerous

However, attributing all social and economic problems to undocumented migrants is both inaccurate and dangerous. South Africa’s unemployment crisis, for example, predates recent migration trends and is deeply rooted in structural economic challenges, educational inequalities, slow economic growth, and governance failures.

Similarly, crime is committed by both citizens and non-citizens. While some undocumented migrants may be involved in criminal activities, the overwhelming majority of criminal activity cannot be explained solely through immigration.

The more uncomfortable truth is that illegal immigration often exposes weaknesses that already exist within society. Porous borders reveal failures in border management. Illegal mining reveals failures in law enforcement and resource governance. Labour exploitation reveals weaknesses in labour market regulation. Corruption reveals weaknesses in state institutions. In many respects, illegal immigration is less the cause of South Africa’s problems than a symptom of deeper governance challenges.

Perhaps the most important question South Africans should ask is not merely how many undocumented migrants reside in the country, but why existing systems allow illegal immigration to persist. If borders can be crossed illegally, who is facilitating it? If fraudulent documents can be obtained, who is issuing them? If illegal mines continue operating, who is buying the minerals? If undocumented workers are employed, who is hiring them?

Answering these questions shifts attention away from the most visible actors and toward the most powerful beneficiaries.

South Africa undoubtedly has a right to regulate immigration and protect its borders. No sovereign state can function without effective immigration controls. Yet meaningful solutions require honesty. The challenge is not simply the presence of undocumented migrants. The challenge lies in the networks of profit, corruption, exploitation and political opportunism that thrive because illegal immigration exists.

Until South Africans confront those realities, public debate will continue to focus on the symptoms while ignoring the disease.

The question, therefore, is not whether illegal immigration exists. The question is whether the country is prepared to identify and confront those who benefit most from it. Only then can South Africa move beyond slogans and toward genuine solutions. DM