Regardless of the xenophobic attacks and threats on the lives of foreigners in South Africa, life is better there than it is in Ghana, Sarah, a Ghanaian resident in South Africa, has said.

There have been concerns for Ghanaians living in South Africa in the wake of renewed attacks on foreigners by locals. Locals say African immigrants have taken over their jobs, leaving them battling with unemployment and hardship.

But asked if she would want to return to her native Ghana to escape the danger, Sarah, speaking on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class 91.3FM on Monday 27 February, said it pays to work in South Africa than in Ghana.

“In Ghana, nobody is going to pay you a commission [but] here if you work…your commission is 40 per cent of whatever you make within the week and it’s a lot of money when you bring it to Ghana. So, in Ghana, as you work for a whole month for them to pay you GHS150 or GHS200, here you are taking 8000 rand (GHS2777) a month. Some people are even taking 15,000 rand as their commission, so it’s far better here than to come back to Ghana. That is why we are still here upon all these problems,” she told show host Moro Awudu.

The xenophobic attacks, led by black South Africans, has mainly targeted other black Africans especially Nigerians, who they accuse of taking their jobs and women.

Foreign nationals at the receiving end of the attacks have teamed up to fight against the black South Africans.

Meanwhile, 18 Ghanaians have so far been rescued in the country from the attacks, according to Ghana’s mission there.

Five were first recused followed by another 13.

They have all been taken to Lynnwood, which is safer. So far, over 140 people have been arrested in Pretoria over the attacks.