CAPE TOWN, 28 December 2021, (TON): Many Africans escaping violence and poverty come to South Africa in search of a better life. But they often find themselves in danger in their new home, accused of taking jobs away from South Africans.

Photographer Shiraaz Mohamed caught up with some who live in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township and Hillbrow, an inner city neighbourhood, about what it is like to deal with xenophobia and crime on a daily basis.

Supermarket owner Getachew Desta above fled Ethiopia in 2010 after he was suspected of supporting an opposition party and now lives behind a steel cage and burglar gates in Alexandra.

He says “he finds life better here, but complains about the crime. I am OK being locked behind the cage as we don’t know when the criminals will strike. At any given time they can they pop up, point a gun at you and rob you of your money. They can also kill you.”

He was a victim of xenophobia in 2016, when a mob ransacked his shop and he was left with nothing.

And again in July this year in the unrest that erupted after the imprisonment of ex-President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. The violence hit two provinces and killed at least 340 people, with damages exceeding 50bn rand ($3.2bn, £2.4bn). “It happened at night. I was not there. I called the police to alert them but they did nothing.

I lost everything and had to borrow money from my family to restart, but it was not enough and I ended up buying my supplies on credit.”