South African pop star Tyla has called for African unity amid renewed anti-immigration sentiment and violence in her home country.
Gatekeepers News reports that South Africa has witnessed a resurgence of anti-immigration protests in recent months, with immigrants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and other African countries reportedly affected by the demonstrations and xenophobic rhetoric.
Several Nigerians have also been repatriated from South Africa in batches as tensions over immigration continue to rise.
Speaking after receiving the AfriPure International Achievement prize at the 2026 South Africa Music Awards, Tyla said she was proud of her African identity and expressed hope for a united continent.
The 24-year-old singer said unity among African countries was essential, urging the continent to move away from internal divisions.
“I’m just so happy to be South African, to be African most of all and I pray one day to see a united Africa, it’s so important,” she said.
Tyla’s comments came weeks after some Nigerian social media users called for a boycott of her planned Lagos concert over concerns about renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
The users argued that the singer should publicly address the reported attacks before being welcomed to Lagos, amid longstanding tensions between Nigeria and South Africa over the treatment of Nigerians living in the country.
Tyla had initially scheduled the Lagos concert for December 22 as part of her ‘A*Pop’ World Tour.
However, she subsequently removed the Lagos date from the tour schedule following the boycott calls.
Her latest remarks come against the backdrop of continuing debate over xenophobia, migration and the treatment of African nationals across the continent.
