Members of the Zulu regiment known as the ‘Amabutho’ chant slogans as they march during a demonstration by the "March and March" movement marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Durban, on June 30, 2026. Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP
Malian singer and songwriter Salif Keita has cancelled his upcoming concerts in South Africa in response to anti-migrant protests in the country, his spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday.
South Africa was rocked by a series of marches against illegal immigration earlier this year, that at times turned deadly.
“I cannot ignore the reports of xenophobic violence against our African brothers and sisters,” Keita said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.
Keita said he made the “painful decision” to cancel upcoming commercial shows in South Africa, without specifying the dates or venues of the performances.
