A Ghanaian man identified as Pkay has explained why some Ghanaians living in South Africa cannot return home despite the xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.
According to Pkay, many Ghanaians living in South Africa are working mainly to settle debts owed to individuals who sponsored their travel to the country.
Pkay detailed that before travelling to South Africa, a woman called “madam” paid for his trip, together with several others, and they are now required to work and repay the money spent on them.
Speaking in an interview with Gossips24 Avenue Pkay disclosed, “It’s not a deliberate attempt to stay here, even though the government wants to help us. I have been in this country for close to four years. When I was coming, nobody told me the reality of what people are facing here.
“I have been here for three years, and what do I even have to show for it to return to Ghana? When I was travelling, my madam paid for my ticket. At the time, I only knew how to trim hair, but I had to learn how to do dreadlocks because barbering alone cannot sustain you.
“Immediately you arrive, you have to work for the first year just to settle your debt with your madam. Some of us even borrowed money in Ghana before travelling, so how can we return home without settling those debts, not to mention the responsibilities waiting for us back home?” he said.
PKay also shared details about how saying, “Those of us who have finished paying our debts to our bosses are now into susu. Assuming everyone contributes 1,000 every month, by the time it gets to your turn to collect the money, you end up spending it on rent, family responsibilities, and other utilities. You can barely save anything, so life here is very difficult,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a temporary postponement of the planned evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.
In a post shared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that more than 800 Ghanaians have registered to be evacuated.
He disclosed that Senior Government Officials on both sides are engaging on South African legal conditions, passenger screening, managing the high numbers and multi-institutional coordination as they work on a new date for the evacuation.
In a May 21 statement, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to provide an update on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, which was scheduled to commence today, 21st May, 2026.
The Government of Ghana notes that more than 800 Ghanaians have registered with our High Commission in Pretoria seeking to be evacuated due to the latest wave of xenophobic attacks”.
“Considering the numbers involved and the South African legal conditions that have to be met, including mandatory passenger screening, multi-institutional coordination, and flight permits, the planned evacuation has been deferred by a few days to enable our High Commission to meet these evacuation conditions.”
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