“The Food Is Not Bad Anymore?”: SA Divided as Foreigner’s Spaza Shop Is Looted Overnight Amid Unrest

A TikTok video posted by NewsNexusOfficial showing a foreigner-owned spaza shop completely stripped overnight has left South Africans divided. The footage, shared amid ongoing anti-immigrant protests sweeping the country, shows shelves emptied and stock gone. It is unclear which province the incident took place in.

The looting is tied to a wave of unrest driven by the March and March movement. The group has been organising nationwide demonstrations demanding the removal of undocumented immigrants from South Africa. Protests have hit major cities, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and Bloemfontein, since early 2026.

When tensions boil over

Violence has been escalating ahead of a June 30 deadline set by March and March. The movement has threatened a full national shutdown if the government does not act on illegal immigration. Human Rights Watch confirmed that at least seven people have been killed since March 2026 as a result of related attacks.

Read also

"Some positive vibes": Video of SANDF soldiers marching through Oudtshoorn streets leaves SA proud

Foreign-owned spaza shops have become a focal point of the unrest. In Bloemfontein, police arrested around 50 suspects for looting immigrant-owned businesses in a single night. In Mangaung, entire shops were stripped bare, with locals seen carrying groceries from emptied stores.

South Africans are split on what the footage means. Some feel the looting is criminal and targets people who are working honestly. Others say desperate poverty is driving people to the edge. The government has condemned the violence but is under pressure to act before June 30.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

More articles about anti-immigration protests

• KZN Premier Thami Ntuli met civil society leaders and law enforcement in Durban over ongoing protests linked to immigration tensions.
• Ghanaian nationals arrived at OR Tambo Airport, as efforts to evacuate them from South Africa go ahead.
• A moving display of unity was seen in Durban recently when a significant number of motorbike delivery drivers joined a march aimed at restoring the city.

Source: Briefly News