Taiwo Kazeem: Xenophobia Forces Nigerian Entrepreneur From South Africa

• Nigerian entrepreneur Taiwo Kazeem spent over a decade building a successful creative career in South Africa.
• He achieved recognition in the arts and leadership, despite initially facing a difficult job market.
• Kazeem's tenure ended abruptly after an incident of hostility affected his business, damaged property, and raised safety concerns.
• He has since returned to Nigeria, highlighting the personal and operational risks faced by foreign nationals due to xenophobia in South Africa.

His case exemplifies how established businesses, built through years of dedication and relationship-building, can be severely disrupted by incidents rooted in xenophobia.

For over ten years, Nigerian entrepreneur Taiwo Kazeem built a life and career in South Africa, having initially sought opportunities he believed were not readily available in his home country. His journey began with the aim of securing employment, but he soon encountered a challenging job market characterized by significant unemployment, even among South Africans. This reality prompted him to pivot, leveraging his prior experience in banking and finance and hospitality to explore new professional avenues.

Despite these initial hurdles, Kazeem successfully transitioned into the creative industry, starting with beauty services like nails and eyelashes, a field entirely new to him. This unexpected path subsequently led him into modeling, acting, and eventually film production. Over the years, he garnered substantial recognition for his contributions to community service, the creative arts, and leadership, even receiving a nomination for South Africa's prestigious 40 Under 40 recognition. He actively engaged with the country's arts and cultural institutions, forging professional relationships and establishing a reputation that extended beyond the Nigerian expatriate community.

Kazeem himself acknowledged the opportunities South Africa provided, stating that the country offered him a platform from the outset, enabling him to deeply integrate into the creative sector and achieve recognition. However, after more than a decade, his successful trajectory was abruptly cut short. An incident of hostility, which he reported as directly impacting his business, causing property damage, and raising serious concerns for his personal safety, ultimately led to his decision to return to Nigeria.

Throughout his residency in South Africa, Kazeem remained acutely aware of the persistent issue of xenophobic hostility directed at foreign nationals, particularly those from Nigeria. He noted that while authorities and community organizations occasionally organized dialogues and engagements with African migrant communities to foster peaceful coexistence and deter xenophobia, these efforts, though offering reassurance, did not fully alleviate his underlying concerns about the recurrence of tensions.

Initially, Kazeem held the belief that such hostility would eventually diminish and that he would personally remain unaffected. This perception, however, was shattered by the incident that forced his departure. His experience underscores a broader challenge faced by many foreign national business owners in South Africa, where socio-political risks can abruptly undermine years of investment and effort, impacting migrant business owners.

The abrupt end to Taiwo Kazeem's decade-long entrepreneurial journey in South Africa highlights the significant operational and personal safety risks confronting foreign national entrepreneurs in the country. His case exemplifies how established businesses, built through years of dedication and relationship-building, can be severely disrupted by incidents rooted in xenophobia. The reported damage to his property and the direct impact on his livelihood serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by migrant business owners.

For those considering establishing or investing in South Africa, Kazeem's experience provides a critical data point. It emphasizes the necessity of factoring in socio-political risks, such as potential business disruption, property damage, and threats to personal security, into due diligence processes. The narrative underscores that even individuals who successfully integrate and contribute significantly to the local economy can find their security and future unexpectedly jeopardized, prompting a reevaluation of their long-term presence in the country.

This article underscores the significant operational and personal safety risks faced by foreign national entrepreneurs in South Africa due to xenophobia. Lawyers advising foreign clients on business establishment or investment in South Africa must factor in these socio-political risks, including potential business disruption, property damage, and lack of security, when conducting due diligence and advising on risk mitigation strategies or legal recourse for affected parties.

Source: Based on original reporting.