Migrants stand in a queue to board the first of seven buses at the Sherwood Park in Durban to travel back to Malawi.
Pressure is building ahead of the June 30 deadline set by some groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country, as protests continue to spread across several provinces.
Communities have voiced frustration over jobs, housing pressures and safety concerns, with more demonstrations expected as the date draws closer.
The past week has seen marches in Tembisa, Pietermaritzburg, North West and Cape Town, with community leaders in Tembisa taking their grievances to the local police station.
About 10 000 Malawian nationals are continuing to leave South Africa, with officials coordinating bus departures from the Sherwood Hall temporary shelter in Durban as part of an ongoing repatriation process.
