Social media is being used to fuel xenophobia and hatred.
Social media has become an unrelenting mirror for South Africa, one that reflects a truth the country often wishes to believe it has outgrown — that racism remains deeply woven into the fabric of its society. Thirty years after the transition to democracy, platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram are unmasking the unfinished work of reconciliation, often exposing the fault lines faster and louder than any traditional institution.
In April 2025, the investigation into the so-called “X-Boer” phenomenon sent shockwaves across South African society and beyond. A former farmer operating under an anonymous account had been disseminating racist propaganda to millions globally, crafting a narrative of white victimhood in South Africa. The account peddled distorted figures about farm murders and framed post-apartheid South Africa as a dystopia of racial revenge.
The revelation that influential figures such as Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump had interacted with such narratives gave this misinformation extraordinary reach, amplifying a profoundly distorted view of the country’s reality. The unmasking of the “X-Boer” through a meticulous investigation reminded the world how unchecked digital spaces can distort national reputations and reinforce global racial stereotypes.
What makes social media’s effect particularly profound is its immediacy and reach. In minutes, a racist video filmed in a classroom, a xenophobic rant in a taxi or a racially insensitive advert can escalate into a national crisis.
In 2023, a video surfaced showing a South African teacher making derogatory remarks about black students in a private WhatsApp group, prompting outrage when screenshots were leaked onto X and TikTok. The incident triggered widespread condemnation and forced authorities to conduct emergency reviews of discrimination policies in schools.
In the same year, a video depicting an attack on Somali-owned spaza shops in Soweto went viral, reigniting debates about xenophobia and the selective nature of outrage depending on the racial identities of victims.
Social media does not only expose incidents, it also shows the unevenness in government responses. Racist remarks by political figures or officials are often met with cautious administrative investigations or internal hearings, while citizen-led exposés that go viral tend to force real disciplinary action only after massive online backlash.
In a country where institutions often appear reluctant to act swiftly, social media activism forces uncomfortable conversations onto the national agenda. In some cases, the public pressure created online has led to dismissals, formal apologies and regulatory action, such as cases handled by the South African Human Rights Commission. In others, the digital spotlight fades before any real justice is achieved, leaving communities feeling betrayed once more.
The images and stories that trend internationally because of South African racism cases leave a lasting impression. Viral moments, whether it is a university initiation ceremony that descends into racial slurs or the chanting of slogans like “Kill the Boer” in political rallies, are often interpreted out of context abroad, feeding perceptions of instability, racial hatred and an incomplete democracy.
While historical nuance is often lost in translation, the fact remains that South Africa’s racial issues are exposed instantly to a global audience, reshaping how Africa’s most industrialised nation is perceived. Despite decades of post-apartheid nation-building efforts, racism remains one of the country’s most visible exports on social media.
The intersection between race, class and tribal identities also becomes clear online. In early 2024, debates erupted on TikTok and Facebook over claims that South Africa’s national symbols disproportionately favour certain cultural groups. Arguments about language representation, economic disparities and historical recognition flared into online battles involving Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans-speaking coloured, Indian and English-speaking communities. Such moments demonstrate that race and identity remain contested terrain and social media acts as the loudest arena where these grievances are aired without filters.
South Africa’s struggles are not unique but they are amplified by the country’s history and its global visibility. A simple hashtag like #RacismMustFall or #SAStillRacist can trend worldwide in hours, damaging efforts to brand South Africa as a peaceful emerging economy.
Every viral racism scandal, whether it stems from a rural town hall meeting or a university graduation, reverberates into investment boards, diplomatic summits and media coverage far beyond the country’s borders. Social media’s compression of time and space means that reputational damage unfolds faster than traditional diplomatic spin can contain.
Governments around the world increasingly recognise that digital narratives can no longer be treated as informal chatter; they shape national images in profound ways. Yet, South Africa’s formal governmental communications have struggled to keep pace. Official apologies are often delayed, legal processes are slow and public relations responses sometimes appear more concerned with image management than real reconciliation.
After high-profile online racism scandals, government departments tend to issue general condemnations rather than targeted reforms. This reactive posture feeds cynicism among citizens and fuels scepticism abroad.
Efforts by bodies like the South African Human Rights Commission demonstrate that formal mechanisms exist to address racism but the scale and intensity of cases emerging via social media outpace institutional capacity. Without a proactive and visible strategy to tackle online hate, South Africa risks becoming a digital case study in how hard-won moral authority can be eroded.
The complexity of racism in South Africa defies easy binaries. It is not only about white versus black tension. Recent social media debates have highlighted intra-African prejudice, where xenophobia towards immigrants from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Mozambique manifests in online hate campaigns. Hashtags like #PutSouthAfricansFirst exploded, showing how economic frustrations easily mutate into racialised and tribalised scapegoating.
Even among minority groups, prejudice surfaces online. Colourism within black communities, anti-Indian sentiment in KwaZulu-Natal and tension between Afrikaans-speaking and English-speaking coloured communities are all regularly discussed in posts, memes and comment sections. Social media provides a space where these prejudices become visible, challenging the narrative that South Africa’s divisions are solely historical relics.
Technology companies hosting these discussions are not neutral actors. Despite community guidelines prohibiting hate speech, enforcement is sporadic and often reactive. Posts that violate South Africa’s Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act frequently remain online for days, allowing narratives of hate to gain momentum. Algorithms designed to maximise engagement inadvertently prioritise provocative content, pushing racist or inflammatory posts into even wider circulation.
Civil society has fought back, using social media itself as a platform for resistance. Campaigns like #NotInMyNameSA mobilise young people to challenge hate both online and offline. Online petitions, crowdfunding for legal action and real-time exposure of hate speech incidents have become effective tools. Digital activism has ensured that racism, when exposed, does not remain buried in administrative processes or local scandals.
Despite these efforts, the systemic roots of racism — poverty, education inequality, residential segregation — mean that social media will continue to capture its manifestations. Rather than serving as a solution in itself, social media exposes the daily lived reality that policies alone have failed to fully address.
The unfinished reconciliation project is no longer confined to dusty courtrooms or ceremonial speeches. It is fought and displayed daily on X threads, TikTok duets, Facebook Live videos and WhatsApp broadcasts. The raw, real-time documentation of racist incidents, broken promises and simmering resentments frequently punctures the imagery of a united Rainbow Nation.
For the international community, these digital signals reshape perceptions about South Africa’s progress. For South Africans, the constant surfacing of racism online serves both as a wound and a warning — reconciliation is a daily process, not an event. Social media, chaotic and imperfect as it is, might yet prove to be one of the most brutally honest platforms for confronting a nation’s unfinished work.
Ultimately, the world will not judge South Africa by the slogans printed in government reports or the eloquence of Freedom Day speeches. It will judge by what goes viral, what trends and what digital trails are left behind. If it happens, reconciliation will not be televised — it will be live-streamed.
Dr Lesedi Senamele Matlala is a public policy and digital governance lecturer at the School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, at the University of Johannesburg.