The number of Malawians sheltering in a field in Durban after xenophobic attacks swept parts of South Africa almost doubled between Wednesday and Thursday, reaching 5,000, a leader of the group said.
Malawi migrants to South Africa line up for supplies in an informal refugee camp in Sherwood, Durban, South Africa, 10 June 2026. /CFP
Groups of South Africans armed with sticks, whips and shields have been marching through parts of the country, telling foreigners without papers to leave by June 30.
"We have 5,002 registered," a leader of Malawian nationals gathered in the field in the port city said.
This was up from around 3,000 on Wednesday and included 1,220 women, said Matthew Chikwemba.
Families continued to arrive throughout the day, some from areas outside Durban, including the city of Pietermaritzburg, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) away, he said.
Tensions spiralled after two Mozambicans were killed following a May 29 march against illegal migrants in the Western Cape town of Mossel Bay.
The violence raised fears of a repeat of the bloodshed that has marked previous flare-ups in anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa.
More than 150 Malawians were bused out of Western Cape province over the weekend, while at least 1,000 Mozambicans have left. Ghana and Nigeria have also started repatriating hundreds of their nationals.
A delegation from the Malawi embassy was in the city to work out arrangements to get them home.
"The plan on the table is that our priority would be repatriating women first, using buses to ferry them to Malawi, and men would be dealt with later," said a representative, Adam Ally.
A UNHCR delegation in the city expressed concern about the situation during a meeting with KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli.