“I’m Used to Bad Things Happening to Me”: The Victimisation of Low-Income Earning Foreign Nationals Living in South Africa

Main Article Content

Shandre Jansen van Rensburg

Abstract

South Africa hosts millions of foreign nationals who are often blamed for the country’s high crime rate, despite their victimisation being under-reported. Foreign nationals often settle for low-income jobs regardless of their qualifications or work experience. Consequently, these minority groups are vulnerable to victimisation due to their environment and circumstances. Thus, this study reflects on the victimisation of low-income earning foreign nationals living in Gauteng, South Africa. Through qualitative interviews, fifteen foreign nationals shared their experiences concerning their victimisation. Data were analysed thematically and interpreted through a radical victimological lens. The findings suggest that the participants’ origin stories set the context for their willingness to endure victimisation in South Africa. Moreover, some participants experienced xenophobia and crime victimisation such as robbery, sexual assault, and witnessing a xenophobic-motivated murder. 

Article Details

How to Cite
Jansen van Rensburg, S. (2023). “I’m Used to Bad Things Happening to Me”: The Victimisation of Low-Income Earning Foreign Nationals Living in South Africa. Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society, 11(2), 5–29. https://doi.org/10.26806/modafr.v11i2.439
Section
Articles
Author Biography

Shandre Jansen van Rensburg, University of South Africa, South Africa

She holds a Master of Arts degree and a DLitt et Phil qualification, both in Criminology. In 2018, she was honoured as the youngest female doctoral graduate by Elsevier and received a Women in Research (WiR) grant. Her research focuses on victimology, security science, and contemporary criminology. She is an Associate Professor at the University of South Africa, where she oversees the Masters and Doctoral programmes in the Department of Criminology and Security Science. E-mail: sissisk@unisa.ac.za