Nicole Tau
A Facebook post shared on 13 June 2026 claims that the number of Malawian nationals gathered at Sherwood Community Park in Durban surged from 5,000 to 7,000 in a single day. It goes further, alleging that South Africa is home to “MILLIONS”” of undocumented Malawians, “
The post also alleges that other nationalities in South Africa add up to millions.
The post accurately reflects the rapid increase in the number of Malawian nationals gathered at Sherwood Park in Durban. Multiple independent news organisations documented the rapid growth of the Sherwood gathering, with reports showing the population rose to more than 7,000 people by 13 June.
However, the post overreaches by suggesting that South Africa is home to “millions” of undocumented Malawians and other foreign nationals. While the combined foreign-born populations of several nationalities mentioned amount to roughly two million people according to Census 2022, there is no evidence that millions of Malawians live in South Africa or that the populations referred to are undocumented, as the post implies.
The Facebook post, shared hundreds of times, emerged amid heightened tensions over undocumented migration in South Africa.
Because inaccurate information on migration has previously fuelled xenophobic violence, CheckDesk set out to verify both parts of the claim separately: the reported increase at Sherwood Park and the allegation of “millions” of undocumented migrants.
To verify the reported growth of the Sherwood Community Park encampment, we reconstructed a day-by-day timeline using contemporaneous reporting from GroundUp, Mail & Guardian, CGTN Africa, AFP and eNCA.
Sherwood Community Hall became an emergency gathering point after groups of undocumented migrants fled intimidation and threats from anti-immigration groups operating in parts of Durban.
Reporting by Mail & Guardian placed the initial gathering at approximately 70 to 75 people on 7 June (Sunday) after migrants fled intimidation in nearby settlements. By 10 June, police sources told GroundUp that the population had exceeded 1,000. Over the following days, estimates ranged from 1,200 to just over 5,000.
By 13 June, reporting by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Mail & Guardian and other South African news organisations showed that more than 7,000 migrants were gathered at Sherwood Community Hall while authorities began documentation, immigration processing and voluntary repatriation efforts.
A file image of Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) prevent a stampede at Sherwood Park in Durban on June 13, 2026 as more than 7,000 people, mostly Malawian women nationals, queued for repatriation to Malawi. Photo: Rajesh JANTILAL / AFP
The second part of the claim does not withstand scrutiny. To test the assertion that South Africa hosts “millions” of Malawians, CheckDesk compared official demographic data from both countries.
To test the demographic claim, we analysed Statistics South Africa’s Census 2022, reviewed Malawi’s 2018 Population and Housing Census Migration Report, examined previous investigations by Africa Check, and sought an official technical response from Statistics South Africa.
The Statistician-General confirmed to CheckDesk that the census was designed to count everyone in South Africa regardless of immigration status, and rejected suggestions that millions of undocumented migrants could have been omitted.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Census 2022 in Brief the country’s 2022 Census was specifically designed to count everyone present within South Africa’s borders on Census Night, regardless of nationality or immigration status.
Responding to CheckDesk’s questions about the viral claim, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said official statistics do not distinguish between documented and undocumented residents.
“The Census was designed to capture everyone in the Republic of South Africa on Census Night, regardless of migratory status. Official statistics do not distinguish between documented and undocumented persons in its reports and publications,” Maluleke said in a message response to CheckDesk.
While the post claims that several foreign nationalities in South Africa number in the “millions,” official data paints a more nuanced picture. The 2022 South African Census results recorded 198,807 people born in Malawi living in South Africa. Zimbabwe was the only foreign-born population exceeding one million, with 1,012,059 residents. Mozambique accounted for 416,564, Lesotho 227,770, Ethiopia 58,131, and Nigeria 24,718.
Collectively, the foreign-born nationals, from those countries, documented or not, make up a total of just under two million people. Presenting these figures as evidence of “millions” of illegal foreigners creates a misleading impression about the scale of undocumented migration.
According to Statistics South Africa’s 2025 Mid-Year Population Estimates, South Africa’s total population is approximately 63.10 million, meaning the foreign-born nationals account for only a small proportion of the country’s overall population.
Critics of the census often argue that undocumented migrants are significantly undercounted. CheckDesk therefore asked Stats SA whether excluded population groups, such as homeless people and residents of collective living quarters, could account for the millions claimed online.
Maluleke rejected that suggestion.
“Whilst the data published excludes unconventional households and the homeless, these groups constitute a very small portion of the country’s population. Even though the proportion of foreign-born persons among the homeless may be higher than in the general population, it is by no means in the millions.”
He added that the country’s collective living quarters, including prisons, military barracks, orphanages and old-age homes, contain 601,502 people in total, making it statistically impossible for these excluded groups alone to conceal millions of undocumented migrants.
CheckDesk then applied what investigators often call a “mirror test.” Instead of relying solely on South African figures, we compared them with Malawi’s own migration statistics.
Malawi’s 2018 Population and Housing Census Migration Report estimates that 254,934 Malawians were living abroad globally. Of those, 80.7% were recorded as residing in South Africa, equivalent to approximately 205,700 people.
The close alignment between Malawi’s migration data and South Africa’s Census 2022 provides two independent national datasets arriving at almost identical figures, making the Facebook claim of “millions” highly implausible.
Stats SA also dismissed recurring claims that the census undercounted undocumented migrants by several million people.
“This claim has no basis in fact,” Maluleke told CheckDesk. “Stats SA aims to count everyone in the country, regardless of their characteristics. This practice is globally recommended and aligns with the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses. The number and proportion of foreign-born persons is in line with expected historical trends collected in previous censuses.”
Taken together, official census data from South Africa and migration statistics from Malawi both point to the same conclusion: while the Sherwood gathering did grow into the thousands, there is no credible evidence supporting claims that millions of Malawians, or millions of most other nationalities mentioned in the Facebook post, are living in South Africa.
This fact-check was produced by Nicole Tau, CheckDesk at MISA Lesotho, as part of the African Fact-Checking Alliance’s (AFCA) Fellowship programme. It was produced with peer mentorship from Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, PesaCheck, with financial support from Norway Democracy. AFCA mentorship respects the journalistic independence of the researchers, offering access to advanced techniques and tools, while editorial decision-making remains with MISA Lesotho. Want to learn more? Visit: https://factcheck.africa/
