We Are Not Safe Here” – Ghanaian Hairdresser in South Africa Cries Out Over Xenophobic Attacks

A Ghanaian hairdresser based in Pretoria, South Africa, has appealed for support to return home, citing worsening xenophobic attacks and harsh treatment conditions for foreigners.

Linda Agyekum, who has lived in South Africa for the past 11 years, said life in the country has become increasingly unbearable despite the better income opportunities in the hairdressing business.

In a zoom interview with Kessben Maakye show in Accra, she disclosed, she initially left Ghana because of the country’s unstable electricity situation, hoping to build a better future abroad.

“The situation here has gone down a lot. I would like to return to Ghana, but I’m unsure about getting work as a hairdresser there,” she said.

Linda revealed that xenophobic attacks against foreigners have become a yearly occurrence, leaving many migrants living in fear.

She disclosed that she lost her salon in Tembisa, near Johannesburg, during one of the attacks and has since struggled to recover.

“We are not safe here; we want to return. There is no place like home,” she lamented.

The Ghanaian hairdresser also explained that her residence permit has expired, but renewing it has become difficult due to the insecurity and tension surrounding foreigners in the country.

Appealing directly to Ghana’s National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Linda called for assistance to help stranded Ghanaians return home and rebuild their lives.

“If the NEIP is willing to help us, I will come back,” she added, describing South Africans as increasingly hostile toward foreigners.

Her comments add to growing concerns over the safety and welfare of African migrants living in South Africa amid recurring xenophobic violence.