Author: Yoon Jung Park, Anna Ying Chen.

South Africa is host to the largest population of Chinese on the African continent, with estimates ranging from 250,000 – 350,000. Various waves of migration from China to South Africa have resulted in the creation of diverse, multi-generational, and multi-lingual communities of Chinese. The article explores these waves of migration and then focuses on the newest Chinese migrants, mostly from rural parts of Fujian province, many of whom are settling in small, rural towns across the country. The authors conclude with an attempt to position these newest Chinese migrants in terms of race, class, and power and examine the similarities and differences between them and other migrant communities elsewhere.