In recent weeks, homes and businesses belonging to foreigners in some parts of South Africa have been torched and looted. This has been fuelled by both the sentiment that foreigners are committing crime in South Africa and that they have been able to economically prosper where locals have not.

The spate of violence, while calling for the need to address the socio-political and economic imbalance brought about by the Apartheid era, also brings to fore the need to craft a unique alternative economic model for the country.  The Ubuntu philosophy where individuals are inextricably linked to a community and speaks of collaboration, reciprocity and human dignity is a good place to begin. This will ensure that the marginalized grow with the economy.