October 10, 2026 — KwaZulu-Natal police said on Saturday that 19 people have been arrested since Thursday over violent anti-immigration protests in Durban, after houses and shops were set alight on Friday. Protests also flared in central Johannesburg and Soweto on Friday. The US Consulate in Durban closed for the day on Friday and told Americans to avoid the area.
This updates our October 9 story.
What is new since Friday
- Arrests. Fifteen people were arrested on Friday night and four on Thursday, police said. The charges are public violence and malicious damage to property, with attempted murder and firing a gun in public for the Thursday group.
- Friday’s violence in Durban. Houses were burnt in Umbilo and Berea, a tire shop was set alight, and several shops were damaged or looted, local media reported. Police used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets. No deaths have been reported.
- Johannesburg. Four people were arrested after protests in the city center on Friday, and a car was torched near the Constitutional Court. There were also protests in Soweto. We found no Saturday incident there.
- Government response. The Home Affairs department on Friday withdrew the asylum-application directive that triggered the protests. Organizers said that was not enough and vowed to keep Durban “ungovernable.” No further protest dates have been published: TBA.
- Saturday. Police were on high alert in the Durban central business district, with sporadic protests. The area around the Refugee Reception Centre was calm in the morning. Police said all roads to Moses Mabhida Stadium were open for Saturday’s MTN8 cup final.
- Airports. No source reported disruption at King Shaka International Airport or on the roads to it.
Official advice
- US Consulate General Durban, Security Alert, October 9: cites continued unrest from anti-immigration protests, particularly in the Durban central business district and Durban South. The consulate was closed on Friday. Advice: avoid the area, avoid crowds, keep a low profile and monitor local media.
- A US Embassy Pretoria security alert dated October 9 also exists. We could not open it.
- Advisory levels: no change found. Canada’s page still says “exercise a high degree of caution.”
What it means for airline travelers
- Durban layovers: stay out of the central business district, Umbilo, Berea and Durban South, and pick a hotel away from those districts.
- Airport transfers: use a hotel shuttle or a booked car, travel in daylight, and ask the driver to avoid the city center.
- Johannesburg: avoid the downtown area and protest sites in Soweto.
- Do not photograph protests or approach roadblocks. The violence has targeted foreign nationals.
- Emergency numbers: police 10111, or 112 from a mobile phone.
- Enroll in STEP (US) or Registration of Canadians Abroad, and keep your airline’s local contact handy in case you need to move hotels.
Sources
- The Citizen, “19 suspects arrested in Durban amid protests against illegal immigration”
- EWN, “19 suspects arrested following protests in Durban”
- EWN, “Anti-illegal immigration protesters vow to make Durban ungovernable”
- IOL, “Security stepped up in Durban amid anti-illegal immigration protests and MTN8 final”
- IOL, “Anti-illegal immigration protests: police arrest 15 more suspects”
- US Consulate General Durban, Security Alert, October 9, 2026 (read via allAfrica)
- US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa, Security Alert: US Consulate General Durban, October 9, 2026
- Government of Canada, South Africa travel advice
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