Yet what companies like in migrants, unskilled South Africans see as a threat. Since 1994, when the African National Congress came to power, several laws have been passed designed to improve working conditions for the poor, particularly blacks. These laws limit hours, increase benefits and make it expensive and time-consuming to sack staff, even if they are unproductive or dishonest. Migrants, particularly undocumented ones, are not usually in a position to demand any of these new rights. In the worst cases, employers can exploit them ruthlessly.
Stories abound of bosses who pay less than promised, or have workers deported on pay day.
In some industries, unskilled migrants probably do depress wages for unskilled locals. But the picture is more complicated than most labour activists allow. Take the border asparagus farms. The provincial government told farmers to hire South Africans instead of migrants for this year's harvest. The farmers scattered leaflets in minibus taxis and went around with loudspeakers trying to recruit locals.