THE ILLEGAL RWANDENESE SHOPS OF TODAY, WILL CAUSE XENOPHOBIA IN ZAMBIA TOMORROW – LESSONS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

THE ILLEGAL RWANDENESE 🇷🇼 SHOPS OF TODAY, WILL CAUSE XENOPHOBIA IN ZAMBIA 🇿🇲 TOMORROW – LESSONS FROM SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦

What is happening in South Africa today is a lesson that most African countries can learn from especially Zambia. Unfortunately, very few leaders are paying attention.

Before I speak about Zambia, I believe once South Africans finish dealing with foreigners, they will eventually turn against each other.

While living in South Africa, I witnessed the rapid growth of both legal and illegal foreign communities. I saw how foreigners were often preferred over locals in both formal and informal employment.

In the informal sector, they were cheaper, harder-working, and perceived as more reliable. In the formal sector, many Black foreigners were more educated and experienced, having survived tougher economic conditions in their home countries.

I lived through the worst xenophobic attacks in 2008, amid the global financial crisis. I saw the strong influence of Zimbabweans on poor South African communities, Nigerians dominating drug cartels from Woodstock in Cape Town to Hillbrow in Johannesburg and Sunnyside in Pretoria, Congolese running black-market businesses, Ghanaians controlling barbershops and salons, and Zambians making impact into corporate and governance circles. I watched the ANC shift toward stronger Black Economic Empowerment policies and the resulting impact on white South Africans. I also witnessed the rise of Jacob Zuma, Julius Malema’s departure from the ANC, and the massive infrastructure boom ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Nothing happening in South Africa today surprises me. I am actually shocked it took this long. What is notable is how they issued warnings before acting, something I  did not expect from them.

In Zambia, almost every grocery store in many areas is now owned by Rwandese. These shops are strategically located. Where Zambians still own shops, they are often operating at a loss or heading toward closure.

If the trend continues, Rwandese business owners will soon stop renting and begin buying these shops completely. From there, they will likely start acquiring nearby houses, turning Zambians into tenants in their own neighbourhoods.
Already, many Zambians prefer buying from Rwandese shops. The common claim that Zambians are “lazy” is far from the truth. The Rwandese simply enjoy significant structural advantages:

They receive grants and support to operate their businesses.
They have strong networks for sourcing goods, labour, and credit,  advantages very few Zambian traders can access.
They can focus entirely on their shops, while the average Zambian has family and other responsibilities.

In the coming years, ordinary Zambians will increasingly feel the effects of this uneven playing field, especially since many foreign-owned shops reportedly avoid paying taxes while local businesses bear the full burden.

As economic pressure mounts and opportunities shrink, resentment will grow. The Rwandese will become more visible through intermarriages, financial muscle, and community presence. They simple shop centered life will begin to spread and will begin to partake more of the Zambian life.

When frustration boils over, the first targets will be the Rwandese living in Zambian neighbourhoods, even though both groups are just victims of poor leadership and policy failures in their respective countries.

The next Government after August must act now. Long-term policies are urgently needed to ensure Rwandese (and other foreign) investors contribute meaningfully to Zambia’s economic development without disadvantaging ordinary Zambian citizens. Fair competition, tax compliance, and balanced economic participation must be enforced.

Michael M. Mulusa
A voice