When major legal judgments, judicial reviews or administrative policy changes regarding migration are made public in South Africa, they frequently generate intense public debate. Across social media platforms, differing perspectives and concerns often emerge rapidly. To those monitoring online activity, these digital waves can appear to reflect an immediate, organic groundswell of public sentiment surrounding complex societal issues.
However, recent social network research conducted by the non-profit organisation Tales of Turning tracked digital discourse across platforms, such as X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the complex dynamics shaping these online conversations. Rather than viewing public discourse through a single lens, the findings invite deeper consideration of how information flows, how digital networks operate, and what factors influence public opinion in the lead-up to the 4 November 2026 local government elections.
The crucible of everyday realities
To understand why digital hostility strikes such a deep chord, we must first acknowledge the reality of daily life in South Africa. There are genuine social frustrations across our communities, including unemployment, deteriorating public service delivery, crushing inequality and a pervasive lack of economic opportunity that leaves millions feeling unseen and unheard. These are not manufactured grievances; they are the lived, everyday reality of people striving for dignity in a strained economy.
Herein lies the vulnerability of our public square: these very real issues are precisely what coordinated disinformation networks seek to exploit. Rather than addressing the root causes of systemic hardship, coordinated digital amplifiers weaponise these deep divisions in society, channelling economic despair towards foreign nationals. They take the burden of local suffering and divert attention from the real issues, turning structural economic distress into a volatile instrument of division both online and offline.
Rather than addressing the root causes of systemic hardship, coordinated digital amplifiers weaponise these deep divisions in society, channelling economic despair towards foreign nationals.
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Legal context and consequences
A notable illustration of this dynamic unfolded around recent legal developments concerning asylum policy. Following the May 2025 High Court ruling and the subsequent Constitutional Ruling of 7 July 2026 in the landmark Scalabrini Centre v Minister of Home Affairs case, which struck down unconstitutional administrative barriers and procedural rules that had left asylum seekers in legal limbo, the Department of Home Affairs issued administrative directives to align departmental processes with the court’s rulings. While legal scholars and civil society actors viewed the judgment in terms of constitutional compliance and procedural fairness, online discussions portrayed these same developments through distorted lenses.
Within hours, disinformation networks rapidly transformed a routine administrative compliance order into sensationalised claims of an ‘open border policy’ and a ‘blanket amnesty’. Viral posts falsely asserted that the judiciary had undermined national sovereignty and even went so far as to claim that asylum seekers would now be eligible to vote in the upcoming municipal elections. This divergence illustrates how complex judicial decisions can be distorted across digital networks, raising questions about how legal processes are communicated to, and understood by, the wider public.
Online ecosystem, voices and networks
Recent social network research by Tales of Turning analysed a dataset of 377 167 posts collected between 1 August and 25 September 2026. The findings revealed distinct patterns of digital manipulation. Using human-trained machine-learning algorithms combined with advanced social network mapping across platforms like X, the study tracked user activity, emotional tone and platform metrics surrounding movements like March to March.
The analysis revealed that twenty-six per cent of the top 500 most active accounts propagating anti-foreign-national content were algorithmically identified as inauthentic disruptors or automated bots. While the general public made up sixty-five per cent of the total voices, these high-volume disruptive accounts systematically shape the narrative, injecting hostility into everyday feeds.
In one example of digital manipulation, the single most active account identified in the dataset, a hyperactive user who posted or reshared derogatory content about foreign nationals 1 494 times in under eight weeks, publicly claimed to be based in Johannesburg. However, X’s publicly available metrics indicate that the account was linked to an overseas app store connection.
Network mapping further demonstrated connections between local social media users and high-profile international influencers, showing how domestic users may unwittingly become part of networks that echo talking points crafted far beyond our borders. Some of these digital actors have massive public followings, while others, known as hidden influencers, occupy strategic network nodes, subtly steering conversations across multiple communities without triggering moderation alarms.
Network mapping further demonstrated connections between local social media users and high-profile international influencers, showing how domestic users may unwittingly become part of networks that echo talking points crafted far beyond our borders
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The emotional tone and electoral context
Another dimension highlighted by the research is the emotional climate of online discussions. Analytical tools frequently identify high-arousal emotions, particularly anger and frustration, as prominent drivers of engagement on social media platforms. Because digital platforms often reward emotionally charged material, inflammatory viewpoints or stark warnings tend to spread much further and faster than nuanced, multifaceted policy debates.
This digital intensity intersects closely with the political calendar. As municipalities prepare for the upcoming local government elections, broader societal frustrations surrounding service delivery, economic pressures, municipal infrastructure and governance are frequently channelled into migration debates. Researchers note that online communities increasingly use these discussions to express wider discontent with state institutions and the political landscape, reflecting a complex intersection of economic anxiety, institutional strain and electoral dynamics.
Soweto and Durban protests
The interplay between digital discourse and physical reality remains one of the most critical areas for community reflection and study. Online debates do not always remain confined to virtual spaces; tensions expressed online often mirror real-world friction.
This was observed during recent protests in Soweto and Durban, where demonstrations over community grievances, local services and migration concerns escalated into volatile confrontations. These events raise important questions about how local economic pressures, community anxieties and digital messaging interact on the ground, and what steps civil society, local leaders and communities can take to understand and de-escalate tensions before they escalate into physical unrest.
Reflecting on our shared public future
As South Africa navigates the complex landscape of an election year, it is worth considering the health of public dialogue. When digital networks amplify division and external influences intersect with domestic conversations, what steps can society take to foster constructive, evidence-based engagement?
Ultimately, examining the forces that shape our information ecosystem encourages a deeper reflection on community resilience and social cohesion. How do we balance legitimate public concerns about governance and law with the imperative of maintaining peaceful coexistence? And how can citizens and leaders cultivate spaces where difficult conversations about law, migration and community belonging are approached with nuance, critical inquiry and a shared commitment to constructive dialogue?
For further information: Read the latest Tales of Turning Anti-Immigrant Social Network Account Analysis
Thandile Xesi is a Cape Town-based researcher and writer currently working as a research consultant and digital dialogue facilitator at Tales of Turning
