Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has urged his countrymen working abroad in "difficult conditions" to return home, as he received Ugandans who recently returned from South Africa.

On Sunday, President Museveni met the returnees in Kyankwanzi district, more than 150 kilometres northwest of the capital Kampala.

"I reiterated that the NRM (National Resistance Movement) has consistently fought poverty through education, wealth creation, and job creation. I encouraged them, especially the youth, to embrace commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT, where the greatest opportunities lie," President Museveni wrote on X on Sunday.

He added: "The government will support their reintegration, including strengthening their SACCO." The head of state did not reveal how many Ugandans had returned, although parliamentary records show that 1,102 Ugandans were identified for repatriation from South Africa in early July.

'Transformation'

Ugandan government's media centre reported on Sunday: "At least a total of 1,030 Ugandans repatriated from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks are undergoing a remarkable transformation at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi, where government officials say the returnees are rediscovering hope, patriotism, and confidence in rebuilding their lives back home."

"The Commissioner for the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC) at State House, Hellen Seku, says the rehabilitation and ideological orientation programme has exceeded expectations, with many participants now viewing Uganda as the best place to invest their skills and secure their future," the media centre's report said.

In March 2026, Uganda's Directorate of Immigration revealed that at least 20,000 Ugandans were living in South Africa illegally. Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says more than two million Ugandans live abroad.

In a message directed at Ugandans living in the diaspora, the president said on Sunday: "I also appealed to Ugandans working abroad under difficult conditions to return home and seize the opportunities available here."

Anti-immigrant unrest in South Africa

Reacting to the recent anti-immigrant unrest in South Africa, which resulted in the voluntary departure or repatriation of foreigners, mostly Africans, from the Southern African nation, Museveni said: "Uganda stood with South Africa during the struggle against apartheid, and we cannot accept the notion that fellow Africans are 'xenos' in Africa. I convey my condolences to the families of the three Ugandans who lost their lives in South Africa."

Besides Uganda, several African countries, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Ghana, and Malawi have repatriated thousands of their citizens from South Africa.

Anti-immigrant sentiments in South Africa have intensified in recent months, with the locals blaming undocumented foreign nationals for the lack of adequate jobs and a rise in crime incidents. South Africa's average unemployment rate stands at more than 30%, the highest in Africa.

The South African government has urged its citizens to exercise restraint as the government employs the lawful channels to addresses the issue of an influx of undocumented migrants into the country.