Afrophobia, the prejudice of Africans against fellow Africans, is significantly hindering the continent's push for economic unity and shared prosperity. Recent disturbing images from South Africa, showing African migrants being attacked and their businesses looted, have cast a dark shadow over Africa's integration goals. These incidents reveal a deep-seated psychological issue that goes beyond simple economics or migration.
This is not just a South African problem. Many African nations, including Ghana, have laws that restrict foreigners, especially other Africans, from participating in certain market sectors. Historically, Ghana deported Nigerians under the Aliens Compliance Order in 1969. Nigeria responded with the "Ghana Must Go" expulsions in the early 1980s. These events demonstrate a recurring pattern where economic stress leads Africans to turn against each other.
Afrophobia is a betrayal of the Pan-African ideals championed during liberation struggles sixty years ago. It represents a crisis of African consciousness and identity. Colonial borders, designed to divide, have left a legacy of viewing fellow Africans as competitors rather than partners. This mindset obstructs the implementation of continental integration treaties and protocols, which aim to build a unified African market.
According to the source, Afrophobia is "the fear, hostility, prejudice, discrimination or hatred directed by Africans against fellow Africans from other African countries." This contrasts with general xenophobia, as it specifically targets fellow Black Africans. It is a peculiar contradiction for a continent that once preached solidarity and a shared destiny.
The implications of Afrophobia are far-reaching for Africa's economic future. With Africa possessing significant industrial capacity, it stands to be a major beneficiary of a single African market. However, continuing discrimination discourages the movement of people and capital, essential for economic growth. Countries like South Africa, which have historically benefited from migration and contributed to African integration, now face a stark reminder of the challenges ahead. The underlying issues of unemployment and inequality in South Africa are real but should not be blamed on African migrants, who are often scapegoats for deeper economic and governance problems.
The example of SADC shows that African civilisation thrived on free movement long before colonial borders. Communities traded, intermarried, and migrated for opportunities. South Africa's economic growth, particularly after the discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 19th century, was fueled by migrant labour from across Southern Africa. This labour built mines and railways. This historical context makes the current Afrophobia particularly tragic, as it ignores the foundational role of inter-African migration in building economies.
The source mentions that even during the brutal apartheid era, regional migration was crucial, with African states offering significant support to liberation movements and bearing economic costs. Figures like the late Dr. J.F. Otchere-Darko, a Ghanaian surgeon who practiced in South Africa in the 1980s, represent this spirit of Pan-African cooperation. His work healing people and teaching medical students in South Africa embodies a commitment that is now being undermined.
The continent's journey towards economic integration, as envisioned by initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), is deeply threatened by this pervasive Afrophobia. The lack of free movement and the prevalence of prejudice create an environment counterproductive to trade and investment. Moving forward, addressing this "existential psychological baggage" is as critical as economic policy for realizing Africa's full potential.
The author, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, stresses that while South Africa faces challenges like high unemployment and inequality, blaming foreign African workers and entrepreneurs is misplaced. These migrants are not the cause of structural failures. They often become easy scapegoats for deeper problems within the country's economy and governance systems.