South Africa: Govt Launches Fundraiser to Bring 10,000 Citizens in South Africa Home

The Government of Malawi has unveiled an ambitious nationwide fundraising campaign to bankroll what is shaping up to be one of the country's largest humanitarian rescue operations--bringing home an estimated 10,000 Malawians stranded in South Africa following weeks of vigilante attacks targeting foreign nationals.

With thousands of citizens seeking safe passage home, authorities say the sheer scale of the crisis has stretched available resources and created enormous financial, logistical and humanitarian demands that cannot be met by government alone.

In a statement issued on June 13, 2026, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) appealed to development partners, the private sector, faith-based organisations, transport operators and members of the public to contribute money, transport services and humanitarian assistance to support the repatriation exercise.

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The fundraising initiative comes as government, working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Malawi High Commission in Pretoria, intensifies efforts to register affected Malawians, verify their identities and coordinate their safe return.

Emergency travel documents are being issued to citizens who lost or do not possess valid papers, while transport arrangements are being made to move vulnerable people from shelters and affected communities to departure points.

The first group of returnees arrived safely in Malawi on June 9, 2026, with additional groups expected as the rescue operation gathers momentum.

Back home, reception facilities have been established at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, where returnees are receiving temporary shelter, meals, psychosocial support, protection services and assistance to travel onward to their home districts.

DoDMA Commissioner Wilson Moleni described the repatriation programme as a national humanitarian mission and reaffirmed the government's determination to bring home every Malawian who wishes to return.

Faced with the daunting task of repatriating around 10,000 citizens, the government is calling on all sectors of society to help finance the operation and ease the suffering of fellow Malawians caught in the crisis.

Financial contributions can be made through the Reserve Bank of Malawi's Capital City Branch using Malawi Kwacha Account 0013000200025 or Foreign Currency Account 0013000200022, while international transfers can be processed via SWIFT code RBMAMWMW through Citibank N.A. using SWIFT CITIUS33 and Account 36005022.

Moleni assured prospective donors that all funds and assistance received will be managed with transparency and accountability and dedicated exclusively to the repatriation, reception and welfare of returning Malawian nationals.

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The government also thanked individuals, companies and organisations that have already contributed, saying their support is playing a critical role in helping vulnerable citizens escape danger and reunite with their families.