The campaign ‌led by anti-immigrant group March and March sought to free up jobs for South Africans, a third of whom are unemployed. "People don't want to work in factories," said Mpho Nkosi, a 29-year-old South African administrator ​at one of the firms. The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union estimates that 15% of Newcastle's 15,000-strong textile workforce left during ‌the protests. "We have plenty of qualified machinists in South Africa," he said, adding that commuting costs also deterred South African workers, while at some factories migrant workers lived on site. Labour market researcher Siphelele Ngidi said attracting South Africans to manufacturing jobs would require a government push to revitalise the sector.