South Africa can pay every citizen R1 million every year for the rest of their lives, immigrants will come to work for us, like in Dubai – Phakelumthakathi

South Africa can pay every citizen R1 million every year for the rest of their lives, immigrants will come to work for us, like in Dubai – Phakelumthakathi.

A controversial claim by anti-immigration activist Nkosikhona Phakelumthakathi Ndabandaba has been doing the rounds on social media. He recently suggested that South Africa has the financial muscle to pay each of its citizens R1 million every year.

The statement, which has sparked heated debate, paints a picture of a country where citizens wouldn’t need to work and could instead employ legal immigrants to handle all labour, much like the system he claims operates in Dubai.

But does this idea hold up under scrutiny? Toktok9ja Media decided to look at the numbers, and the picture is rather different.

Before examining the maths, it helps to understand who is making these claims.

Phakelumthakathi, as he is popularly known, hails from Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal. He is a cultural activist and traditional leader who rose to national prominence while leading Zulu regiments at the funeral of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

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He has become one of South Africa’s most talked-about figures, using his platform to push strong views against illegal immigration. He has previously claimed that foreign nationals are selling drugs at universities, and he denies accusations that he has taken bribes to target other Africans.

The financial reality of his proposal is where the argument falls apart.

Let’s break it down:

• The population: South Africa has roughly 64 million citizens.
• The cost: R1 million per citizen per year.
• The total needed: A staggering R64 trillion annually.

The problem? South Africa’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the value of everything the country produces in a year—is about R7 trillion.

To fund Phakelumthakathi’s idea, the government would need a budget more than nine times larger than the country’s entire economic output. That simply isn’t possible.

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The activist also drew a comparison to Dubai, suggesting South Africans could live off the labour of foreign workers much like the wealthy citizens of the United Arab Emirates.

While it is true that a large portion of the workforce in Dubai is foreign-born—estimates suggest as much as 90% of the employed population comes from other countries—the economic foundations of the UAE are completely different.

Dubai’s economy is not heavily reliant on oil; it is built on services, tourism, and finance. The small local population benefits from a model that has been built up over decades, attracting global business and investment. South Africa’s economy is far larger in total size, but it is also far less wealthy per person. The model in Dubai cannot simply be copied and pasted into the South African context.

While Phakelumthakathi’s R1 million claim is easily debunked by simple arithmetic, the underlying message is more worrying. The idea that the economy is a pie that foreigners are taking away is a simplistic view that often fuels tensions.

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The activist has been at the centre of controversy before. In June 2026, he claimed there was a bounty on his head, saying Somali business owners had raised R1 million to have him killed. He said a traditional healer had refused to take part in the plot.

Just weeks earlier, he had been publicly blasted by another leader, Sbu Zikode, who accused him of taking bribes to target other Africans.

While these claims and counter-claims add to the drama surrounding his persona, they do not change the fact that his economic proposal is mathematically impossible. The numbers do not lie.