Only one Ghanaian reportedly showed up at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for the government’s planned evacuation exercise scheduled for the morning, despite earlier announcements that about 300 citizens were expected to return home from South Africa.

The evacuation followed concerns over the safety of Ghanaians in South Africa amid renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.

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Speaking in an interview at the airport with an SA based media, Newsroom Afrika, on May 21, 2026, the man said he arrived alone after hearing announcements about the scheduled evacuation flight.

According to him, he decided to report early because he expected many people to show up for the flight which was scheduled to depart at 5:00 am.

“I just came alone because I heard about the situation going on. They said the flight will take off 5 o'clock am so you must come. That's why I said no, I must come tomorrow so that I will get the flight faster in case maybe there is a lot of people,” he said.

He disclosed that he arrived at the airport between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm the previous day and waited for several hours.

“So, I came here yesterday between 7 to 8pm. I think I took more than 8 hours or 9 hours,” he added.

The Ghanaian, who works as a barber in South Africa, said he currently works at a salon.

“I'm cutting hair [a barber]. I'm working at a salon,” he stated.

He also opened up about his immigration status, explaining that his passport had expired and he now depends on asylum documentation which he renews every three months.

“I was using my passport initially but now the date has expired so I'm just using the asylum. I was using the asylum and every three months I renew it,” he stated.

The development follows an earlier announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about plans to evacuate the first batch of 300 Ghanaians living in South Africa through a special chartered flight.

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The move comes amid rising xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa and growing concerns over the safety of Ghanaians living in the country.

Watch the video below:

Ghanaians are expected to start leaving the country, claiming they may be targets of xenophobia. Their government announced that the first batch of 300 people will be taken home today. However, only 1 person has been seen so far for the flight that was due to take off by 5am.… pic.twitter.com/1Kgovy6y1c

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 21, 2026