MTN Chairman Warns Xenophobia Will Cost South Africa Its African Future

MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas has spoken out forcefully against the rising tide of xenophobia in South Africa, cautioning that hostility towards foreign nationals not only betrays the country's core values but also endangers its long-term economic prospects.

Jonas made the remarks at a funeral service in South Africa, where he argued that anti-immigrant sentiment frequently serves as a convenient smokescreen for deeper failures in governance and socio-economic policy. Rather than confronting structural problems, he said, some voices were choosing to scapegoat foreign nationals.

"We are a nation embedded in Africa. And without Africa, our growth as a country, economically, our fortune is intertwined with the growth of Africa. South Africa is nothing without Africa. And Africa is nothing without South Africa," Jonas stated emphatically.

A Call for African Solidarity

The MTN chairman stressed that no person should be judged or have their legal standing determined by their country of origin, calling on South Africans to uphold the principles of human dignity and equality. "We cannot judge people by their origin. We cannot determine the legal status of people by their origin," he said.

His comments arrive against a backdrop of persistent debates in South Africa over immigration, unemployment, and periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence — episodes that have repeatedly drawn condemnation from human rights organisations and ECOWAS and African Union leaders alike. Many West African nationals, including Ghanaians, have been caught up in such incidents over the years.

Jonas urged South Africans to adopt a broader vision of continental solidarity, pointing out that African economies are increasingly interconnected and that regional cooperation is indispensable for sustainable development across the continent.