Somizi’s resurfaced video on migrant labour gets backlash

by Jade Rhode
Somizi sparked backlash for his migrant labour discussion.

Media personality and choreographer Somizi Mhlongo trended online after an old video resurfaced of him talking about migrant labour. The former Idols South Africa judge’s discussion about how many low-wage service jobs seem filled by non-South Africans sparked a heated debate.

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Somizi speaks on migrant labour in South Africa

In an old clip Somizi had uploaded on TikTok, reshared on X, he shared that he had gone shopping and posed the following questions to the public:

“What does South Africa look like with non-South Africans who are working? What does our country look like without these people?”

Speaking hyperthetically, Somizi, who unveiled that he has Zimbabweans and Malawians working for him, asked the online audience whether South Africans were capable of doing the jobs some foreign nationals do. These jobs included gardening, domestic work, and working as security guards.

“Please don’t get me wrong, this is just imagination,” he said. He also felt South Africa would be “in sh*t” should migrant labour cease to exist in the country.

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South Africans respond to Somizi’s controversial discussion

With tensions running high amid the anti-immigration protests and the demand for undocumented workers to leave South Africa by 30 June 2026, many South Africans weighed in on Somizi’s comments. Some social media users didn’t realise that Somizi was inviting them to share their opinions on the contentious matter.

@MRamodike2774 expressed their thoughts, “Somgaga, as a public figure, you need to be helping SA out of this pandemic of illegal immigrants. Stop going for an easy route; instead, let us, as SA, strategise to make our borders protected. You are giving us excuses, not solutions to the problem.”

“He is clowning! No one is saying all foreign nationals must leave. The keyword he is looking for is ‘illegal,'” stated @DavidMogashoa.

A portion of @Awesum_Mo’s comment read, “He didn’t say SA would not survive if all foreign nationals are gone. He asked a question about how SA would be with them all gone, and whether we, as South Africans, would be able to fill that gap. It’s an open debate. I think it’s a valid question. And my answer is simple. Yes, we definitely can survive. However, things are going to be a bit more expensive.”

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