WATCH | 'It's better than being dead': Nigerians flee South Africa

More than 100 Nigerians fled xenophobic attacks on foreigners in SA and arrived at Lagos airport in their home country on Wednesday.

A private Nigerian airline, Air Peace, left South Africa after an eight-hour biometric verification process of the 178 evacuees by the country's immigration service.

LISTEN | Nigerians leave SA after xenophobic violence

It's not the first time SA has witnessed xenophobic violence.

The root causes of the latest attacks are unclear, but analysts suggest high unemployment and grinding poverty are fuelling criminality.

The flare-up in violence has caused a diplomatic dispute between Africa's two biggest economies.

Retaliatory attacks in Nigeria last week forced SA businesses there to shut down for several days.

Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari will visit SA next month to seek a solution.