March and March Movement members wave South African flags as they protest outside the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) under the theme "It’s Time to Fetch Your People" while the 46th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit is underway in Durban, on August 17, 2026. Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP
Bamako: Malian singer and songwriter Salif Keita has cancelled his upcoming concerts in South Africa in response to anti-migrant protests in the country, his spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday.
South Africa was rocked by a series of marches against illegal immigration earlier this year.
"I cannot ignore the reports of xenophobic violence against our African brothers and sisters," Keita said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.
Keita said he made the "painful decision" to cancel upcoming commercial shows in South Africa, without specifying the dates or venues of the performances.
His manager Carolina Vallejo with One World Records confirmed his decision to AFP on Wednesday.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, the 76-year-old artist still tours although less frequently for medical reasons.
"To be clear -- I am not closing the door on South Africa. I am closing the door on violence," Keita's post said.
"When I see migrants being attacked, I don't see 'politics.' I see people searching for work, safety, and dignity. That does not match the South Africa I know -- the South Africa that stood firm with Mali, and the South Africa that Nelson Mandela built."
More than 160,000 people have left South Africa since late May, according to an AFP tally based on figures released by African governments that organised repatriations, including around 1,500 Nigerians.
