Foreigners in South Africa tell photographer Shiraaz Mohamed how they cope with xenophobia and crime.
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.
"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."He has also been kidnapped twice - in 2016 and 2019 - until a ransom of more than $3,000 was paid on each occasion.
He was also a victim of anti-foreigner attacks after he was beaten up by a mob and lost all his stock not long after he first arrived.A 43-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of Congo who lives in Hillbrow says he feels lucky to still be alive: "My best friend was attacked one morning [in the xenophobic violence in 2008]."Imagine someone runs away from his own land and comes here to find peace but ends up getting killed.
Despite his fears he says he is grateful that he is able to feed his family - his one regret is that he has been unable to make contact with his parents and does not know if they are alive.Mozambican Nelfalda Dule is also proud that she can support herself and her family in South Africa. She runs a hair salon from a pavement on a busy road in Alexandra.
Other Zimbabweans seem equally sanguine about their situation, accepting that life is tough but better than at home.A 40-year-old domestic worker , who moved to South Africa from Zimbabwe with her family as a teenager, says drugs are her greatest concern.
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