Several estimates on the size of the population of irregular migrants in South Africa exist but are described as inaccurate.
No accurate estimates of the number of undocumented migrants living in South Africa exist.
[2] The sociologist Alice Bloch notes that migrants in South Africa have been the victims of xenophobia and violence, regardless of their immigration status.
[3] Refugees from poorer neighbouring countries include many immigrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and others, who represent a large portion of the informal sector.
With high unemployment levels for poorer South Africans, xenophobia[4] is prevalent, and many South Africans feel resentful of immigrants, who are seen to be depriving the native population of jobs, a feeling that has been given credibility by the fact that many South African employers have employed migrants from other countries for lower pay than South African citizens, especially in the construction, tourism, agriculture, and domestic service industries.