The xenophobic attacks of the past two weeks in South Africa could batter the tourism industry of South Africa, Africa’s most advanced economy. “(The attacks) are damaging to the brand that we are marketing, damaging to the reputation of the country,” Thulani Nzima, CEO of South African Tourism, told Reuters on Thursday. “We’ve always marketed the country on the basis of the warmth of its people, the welcoming nature of the people, so when things like this happen, it depletes that currency that we’ve punted out there. So of course we’re very worried.”

This could be a hold up for the South African economy which has hustled intensively to fix the manner in which the country is seen by the outside world. But in recent times, the country is now seen as the home of violence because of its high crime rate, particularly in its biggest city, Johannesburg.

Although the triumphant hosting of the 2010 World Cup bolstered South Africa’s positive image globally, graphic images of prowling groups of people carrying dangerous weapons attacking foreigners and plundering foreign-owned shops have invigorated apprehensions that may turn off likely visitors to South Africa.

A little over a dozen people were murdered in the xenophobic violence which took place about three weeks ago, which was chiefly directed at African foreigners.