Season 4 of Under the Microscope addresses xenophobia in South Africa, specifically Afrophobia, the hatred and prejudice against African foreign nationals. The Centre for Analytics & Behavioural Change released their Beyond Borders Report, revealing the political players and organisations promoting xenophobic narratives, sharing misinformation and disinformation that fuelled resentment on social media platforms like X (previously Twitter).

Episode 1 introduces the theme of xenophobia to viewers. Dubbed the “Hate Movement,” it’s organised and sophisticated in promoting violence against African foreign nationals. In this episode, we draw parallels between the xenophobic rhetoric and actions of organisations central to the Hate Movement and those of nationalist apartheid governments, Hitler and the Nazis, and even the MAGA far-right movement in the USA.

As with all our other seasons of Under the Microscope, our aim is to create awareness of important societal issues and deliver facts and insights in a memorable, humanising way that promotes understanding and social cohesion.