African refugees seek a new life in South Africa

By Emilie Syberg

South Africans live, work, and study alongside refugees and migrants from Somalia to Mozambique, drawn by the promise of a better life. But xenophobia has frequently made its presence known, most recently at an anti-immigrant march last month in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital city. Emilie Syberg talked to refugees and migrants in Johannesburg’s Yeoville neighborhood, known for its mix of cultures, to learn more about how they build a life in a home away from home.

Photo at top: Ebrahim Ali, a Somalian, owns a coffee shop in Johannesburg. SoundCloud photo: A Sunday afternoon in Johannesburg. (Emilie Syberg/MEDILL)