Tyla Is Paying the Price for South Africa's Xenophobia

Pressure is growing among some Nigerian commentators and social media users to boycott or cancel South African singer Tyla’s planned Lagos concert amid renewed outrage in Nigeria over xenophobic attacks and anti-migrant campaigns in South Africa. The controversy has pulled Tyla—one of Africa’s most successful young musicians—into a wider political dispute she didn’t create. Critics argue prominent South African artists have not addressed the issue publicly. Supporters of the boycott say Nigerian audiences should stop supporting South African entertainment while Nigerians and other migrants face hostility. Some also highlight the language used by anti-immigration groups in South Africa, proposing that if opportunities are reserved for South Africans, Nigerian concert spending should be redirected to Nigerian artists. The dispute is presented as showing how migration tensions are producing cultural and commercial effects beyond borders.