“I was asked to clean the floor immediately after giving birth” — South African returnee
A Nigerian woman who recently returned from South Africa has shared her family’s difficult experience after spending more than a decade in the country without legal residence documents.
The returnee said she lived in South Africa for 11 years, while her husband spent 12 years there.
According to her, the lack of valid permits made life extremely difficult, leaving the family without stable employment and exposing them to discrimination.
Claims of discrimination and healthcare challenges
Speaking about her experience, the woman alleged that foreigners often faced hostility and limited access to healthcare services.
She recalled one of her most painful experiences after giving birth to one of her daughters in a South African hospital.
According to her, she was allegedly instructed by a nurse to clean the hospital floor despite suffering heavy bleeding shortly after childbirth.
The returnee claimed the situation changed after the nurse realised she could not speak the local language, identifying her as a foreigner.
She described the incident as deeply traumatic, saying it left her feeling unwanted and treated unfairly because she was not a South African.
Children allegedly faced challenges at school
The woman also alleged that her children experienced discrimination in school.
According to her, they were sometimes denied awards and recognition, prompting them to ask whether they were being treated differently because they were not South Africans.
She said those experiences caused emotional distress for the family throughout their stay in the country.
Expresses gratitude after returning home
Despite the challenges, the returnee expressed gratitude for safely returning to Nigeria with her family.
She thanked the Nigerian government and everyone involved in facilitating their return, describing it as a life-changing opportunity.
“I want to thank the Nigerian government and everyone involved in this. I just want to tell them that God bless them because this is a great opportunity,” she said.
The woman’s account comes amid renewed discussions about the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa following recent anti-immigrant protests and rising concerns over xenophobia.
Watch the video here…
‘I was made to clean my blood when I gave birth at a hospital because I’m a foreigner’ — repatriated Nigerian woman speaks on South African ordeal pic.twitter.com/2sH4oRVlSk
— TheCable (@thecableng) June 30, 2026