DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — Beyond the political rallies and policy disputes making national headlines, Durban’s informal settlements tell a different story: one where migration is experienced not as an abstract issue, but as a daily negotiation of survival, commerce, and community.
For Nonhlanhla Bhungugu, 50, the conversation about foreign nationals is grounded in economic reality. A mother supporting five children—including her brothers—through a small informal enterprise, she says her business thrives because of cross-border customers. “I don’t have a problem with them living here. We live in harmony,” Bhungugu said. “What hurts me the most is that foreigners are the ones who are supporting my shop buying chicken feet, tomatoes, and the locals are not buying my goods. They support me a lot.”
This reliance is shared by others in the settlement. A vendor originally from the Eastern Cape, who asked not to be named, sells chicken feet and credits foreign nationals with sustaining her income. “I want foreign nationals around because they are the ones supporting my business. They supply me with fresh produce at good prices. If they are forced to leave, my business will collapse and I will be forced to pack up and go back home to the Eastern Cape,” she explained.
Several residents describe a generally peaceful coexistence. One community spokesperson noted that integration is already underway: “We haven’t had any problems with the foreign nationals. Even local businesses that we have, the majority of them are South Africans. So we do have certain people who are saying that they are not happy about the foreign nationals, but if you try to look at it, there are minor problems.”
Yet tensions persist. Some residents directly associate foreign nationals with recurring fires that devastate the densely built settlements. “I want them to leave because they are disturbing us. For example, there was a fire and they started it and now people are leaving tents,” one resident stated.
Employment competition also fuels resentment. “I think they should leave South Africa, documented or not. We want those with special skills or those who provide skills we do not have,” argued another community member, drawing a distinction between skilled and unskilled migration.
Cultural practices have further strained relations. One resident voiced frustration over sanitation habits: “We have tried to engage them but we cannot coexist. They throw bones, feathers and food items down the toilets. In fact, they throw everything into the toilet. We are tired.”
These contrasting perspectives illustrate the layered nature of migration’s impact at the grassroots level. While political discourse often frames the issue in binary terms, life in Durban’s informal settlements reveals a more intricate dynamic—where economic interdependence, cultural adjustment, and occasional conflict shape a fragile but functional daily coexistence.
