Television screens are beaming anti-illegal immigrant protest marches throughout the country, especially where the March and March movement has a presence. Law enforcement is visible on the streets.
By late morning, there had been no reports of the anticipated violence.
A march to Hillbrow police station in Johannesburg was under way. The protesters were waving placards and being vocal about their gripes but there was order as law enforcement had ensured boots on the ground.
The streets of Germiston too were quiet after a protest in the area last night when crowds marched down President Street in the Germiston CBD. At 10pm, Gauteng Provincial JOC reported protests and looting at the corner of Luiperd and Olifant streets in Klopperpark. Police and security teams stepped in quickly to clear the scene.
This morning, some of the anxiety has abated as residents saw major roads were clear. Traffic is unusually light. A worker said their usual 35-minute drive to work took only 20 minutes today because there were few cars on the road.
Law enforcement remains on standby in the area.
As of Tuesday morning, the anticipated March had not materialised in the Midrand area, leaving streets unusually deserted.
Residents describe the area as a "dead town", with virtually no vehicular or pedestrian movement. Since 7am, only a trickle of taxis have been spotted on the roads.
A notable exception is the heavy police presence near informal settlements, where officers are visibly deployed. Despite this, no incidents, gatherings or related unrest have been reported.
In the Linbro Park area, housing complexes shut their gates on the evening of 29 June, in case any protests began earlier than the June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
However, on Tuesday morning, the area was also quiet; people remained home; the streets were empty and there was little activity. The scene was reminiscent of lockdown in 2020.
While businesses continue to operate in the area, people are alert to the proposed protests and their developments.
This morning, the Community Policing Forum in the Springs area reported that all routes to major highways were clear and the area was quiet.
In North West, more than 400 protesters have gathered in the centre of Zeerust chanting revolutionary songs as they await for more buses and taxis to deliver people from all 32 villages across the small border town.
They are expected to hand over their memorandum to the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality's mayor, Dina Pitso.
It is unnaturally quiet, no movement of cars; most shops are closed and there are no street vendors who are normally fill the CBD of the small North West town.
For the three main supermarkets, it is business as usual.
There is none of the usual traffic at both Kopfontein and Lobatse border posts.
Back in Gauteng, the streets of Northcliff were calm as usual because anti-illegal immigration protests were expected elsewhere, not in the quiet Johannesburg suburb. Yet, as the day unfolded, a different story emerged on TikTok.
Video after video showed Zimbabwean nationals who had returned home before the Tuesday deadline, fearing violence, intimidation or eviction from South Africa. Many documented their arrival at homes they had not seen in two decades, where they found properties dilapidated and in disrepair. The regret was immediate and palpable. Several expressed a desire to return to South Africa, despite the uncertainty that had driven them away.
The comment sections revealed a mix of reactions. Some viewers encouraged those returning to rebuild their lives in Zimbabwe and invest in their communities. Others apologised for what they described as the shameful treatment South Africans meted out to fellow Africans.
While the day has been framed as a defining moment in the immigration debate, the issue itself is far more complex. It is shaped by economic hardship, governance failures, regional migration patterns and competing social pressures. The interconnected challenges will not be resolved by a deadline or a protest. They require thoughtful policy responses, regional cooperation and an honest conversation about the realities driving migration across Southern Africa.
The situation across the country remains subdued and locked down, with an air of anticipation hanging over the silent streets.