After spending two years in South Africa, Chidimma Ifedi-Ogbonna tells BIODUN BUSARI about her near-death experiences, the violent attacks she witnessed and the anti-migrant protests that prompted her return to Nigeria
How did you end up in South Africa?
I graduated with a degree in Computer Science from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, in 2021 and completed my National Youth Service Corps programme in 2022/2023.
I relocated to South Africa in 2024 to join my husband, who had been living there since 2012. We were dating before he left Nigeria. When he returned, we had our traditional wedding, after which I joined him.
What does he do?
My husband repairs and sells cars. He is successful in his business and also a loving and hardworking man.
What were you doing in S’Africa?
I was selling foodstuffs, and my customers were mainly Nigerians and other Africans. I had a shop, and the business was doing well. However, after I was robbed at gunpoint in my shop in November last year, I stopped going there and eventually shut down the business.
It was a horrible experience that I will never forget. I stayed at home afterwards and struggled with the trauma. I did not begin to overcome the psychological effects until I left South Africa. Whenever I went out, I felt as though I could be attacked, and the incident kept replaying in my mind. I experienced symptoms of what I understood to be post-traumatic stress disorder.
Can you share the attack experience with us?
It happened one evening in November last year. I was about to close for the day when three men entered my shop with guns. I froze as they demanded my belongings and pointed their weapons at me. They ransacked the shop.
I could not even shout because I thought I would lose my life that day. They took all the cash I had, as well as my phones and bags. The total value of what they stole was approximately R517,300, which I estimated at about N41,750,000.
It was the most devastating day of my life because nothing like that had ever happened to me before. I struggled with the trauma afterwards, and the fear followed me whenever I went out.
Why did you think you would lose your life?
I had seen people killed by criminals in South Africa. When the Nigerian media reported some incidents as alleged, we later saw that such things were happening. You would see the bodies of people who had been killed lying on the streets. Criminals would attack people and their shops, and in some cases, kill them.
During protests, people are attacked, maimed and killed. That was the kind of danger I feared.
Have you or your husband had other near-death encounters?
Yes, both of us have had frightening experiences. Before I joined my husband in 2024, he was attacked at gunpoint. His cars had also been hijacked. He had lost at least three cars to hijackers in South Africa.
The incident in which I was also involved happened in November 2025. We were returning home at about 6pm when three men ambushed us. They were all armed and pointed their guns at my husband. He nearly lost his life, but thank God he surrendered the car. The men drove away with it.
When these criminals rob people, they try to take everything they have. They searched us, took my handbag and collected our phones. Many people have been killed in similar circumstances. The criminals hijack their cars and sometimes shoot them dead as well.
How did the police address such incidents?
The police would tell you what you wanted to hear. If your car has a tracking device, you might recover it, but without one, it can be very difficult to get it back from the criminals.
When I was in Nigeria in June, my husband called to tell me that his car had been hijacked again. This time, the criminals took not only his car but also everything he had, including his money and phone. They would leave you with nothing. Such incidents were common.
Did you know anyone who had a similar experience?
There was a woman in my neighbourhood who was killed. The criminals attacked her in the morning while her child was with her in the car. She had parked and was waiting for some children to come out when the incident happened on our street.
She struggled with the attackers over her car keys, and they shot her. They dragged her body out of the car, leaving her in a pool of blood while her child cried nearby.
Was there no help from the neighbourhood when this happened?
My husband used to buy recharge cards from a Pakistani-owned shop close to where the incident happened, usually in the morning, but he did not go out that day.
The woman cried for help, shouting, “Help! Somebody help!” But nobody came to her rescue. I think there were about five attackers, so people were understandably afraid to confront men carrying lethal weapons.
The incident was captured by CCTV and happened at about 7am. Many incidents like that occurred while I was in South Africa. They happened quickly, and the criminals often escaped without facing justice. In that woman’s case, no justice was served, as far as I know.
How would you describe your stay in S’Africa?
It was not a good experience. My two years there were horrible. I returned to Nigeria in June.
Nigerians and other foreigners walked the streets in fear. Imagine living in constant panic, unable to go out freely because you do not know whether you will return home safely. You never know what is happening in front of you or behind you.
Even when customers came to my shop, I was apprehensive because I did not know whether their intentions were genuine. That was how fearful I had become.
Can you describe the neighbourhoods in S’Africa?
People from different backgrounds live together, depending on the neighbourhood. I lived in Johannesburg, where Nigerians and South Africans lived side by side. It was not a case of South Africans living in certain areas and foreigners being confined to others. People coexisted, greeted one another and interacted.
I also had South African neighbours. My house was owned by a Nigerian man of Yoruba, who was married to a South African. Nigerians were doing well there.
The problem arose when certain individuals developed hatred towards foreigners. That was when people began to feel unsafe. You would hear about people being killed and their bodies left on the streets.
Do you have any idea why some S’Africans hate Nigerians?
It is not only Nigerians they hate; other Africans are also affected. When the anti-migrant campaigns began, the Ghanaian government, like the Nigerian government, arranged to bring its citizens home. Other African countries also had to respond to the situation involving their nationals.
Even Zimbabweans, who are neighbours to South Africans, suffered similar hostility. Some South Africans resented them and did not want them in the country. The excuse was that foreigners were making life difficult for them and taking their jobs.
At what point did you decide to leave S’Africa?
When announcements were made that anti-migrant protests would take place on June 30, 2026, fear gripped the Nigerian community. Community leaders began drawing the attention of the Nigerian High Commission and other representatives to the need to evacuate Nigerians who wanted to return home.
The Nigerian media also played a significant role in drawing attention to the situation. Arrangements were subsequently made for those willing to return, and I indicated my intention to come back to Nigeria.
My husband and I discussed it, and I was among the first batch of returnees. I returned on June 11, so I did not witness the June 30 protests. However, there had been protests before then, and those who witnessed the June 30 demonstrations said the situation was chaotic.
There had already been threats against Nigerians, with some protesters threatening to kill anyone they encountered. We felt we had no choice but to leave the country and return home. My husband agreed that I should come back to Nigeria while he remained in South Africa for a while.
How did you feel about leaving your husband behind?
I was not happy about it, but he asked me to leave first because there was a need to put some things in order. I keep praying for him.
You know men; they do not give up easily. He wants to settle some things before returning. He is still in South Africa, where he lived for years before I joined him. But after experiencing life there myself, I realised I could no longer cope with the situation. I continue to pray for him.
What do Nigerians do when they find the bodies of their compatriots lying in the streets?
They can’t go beyond identifying the victims’ families and making arrangements for their burial. Members of the communities support affected families with burial arrangements.
How did your family in Nigeria react to reports of the attacks while you were there?
Their concern was one of the reasons I left. Whenever something happened and my family heard about it in the media, they would call and urge me to return home.
They were always worried about us. I believe other Nigerian families with relatives in South Africa felt the same way.
They would say, “Please, come home o. If it is garri, we will eat it together in peace.”
Let’s talk about Nigeria. How would you compare the two countries?
I cannot compare them in terms of personal safety. For me, Nigeria is better because I have peace of mind here. I know this is my country, and I feel safer walking on the streets.
Even in broad daylight in South Africa, I would be afraid to walk on the streets. That was my experience, and I know Nigerians are still going through difficult situations there.
Some South Africans could attack you once they realised you were a foreigner. However, there are good South Africans who oppose the harassment and attacks against foreigners. Despite that, I felt that many did not want Nigerians in their country.
Which country offers better economic opportunities?
South Africa offers better economic opportunities. Many Nigerians who migrated there did so in search of greener pastures. However, the xenophobic attacks and loss of lives have made life extremely difficult for African foreigners.
Although jobs are scarce, you can create a business for yourself in South Africa and run it successfully. In Nigeria, starting a business requires a lot of capital.
Would you return to S’Africa if the anti-migrant attacks subsided?
For me, there is no going back to South Africa. Once bitten, twice shy. I would rather try other African countries than return there. The experience I had would not allow me to go back.
How would you rate the Nigerian government’s response to the situation?
The government tried to respond to calls for the repatriation of Nigerians. The community leaders also worked hard to organise and coordinate the process. It was done on a state-by-state basis.
I am from Enugu State, and the state government gave us N77m because there were 77 returnees from the state. That amounted to N1m for each family represented. Another Good Samaritan from my state donated N1.7m, which was N100,000 for each family.
Personally, I would say the government tried. The main thing the Federal Government and state governments should do now is make life easier for Nigerians by providing jobs and improving infrastructure.
What is your advice to Nigerians considering relocating to S’Africa?
Do not go to South Africa. I do not want anyone to risk their life there. The situation does not seem to be improving.
People are killed so easily. The irony is that some Nigerians are determined to remain in South Africa, saying nothing would make them return home.
I have a friend who is still there. She says Nigeria is worse and that nothing would make her return. I don’t blame her, because everyone has their own reasons and experiences.