National police commissioner Riah Phiyega says police are ready and on standby to deal with xenophobic attacks should they move to other provinces.
She says just over 800 officers have been deployed to KwaZulu Natal to deal with clashes between locals and foreigners and they include reinforcements from other provinces.
Eastern Cape police have also been placed on high alert.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Marinda Mills, says the SA Police Service in the Eastern Cape has noted the violence in KNZ with great concern.
"The provincial commissioner has alerted all station commanders in the province to be on the look out to conduct additional patrols and to ensure all the people living in the Eastern Cape are protected." says Mills.
Meanwhile, foreign nationals are closing up shop in the Johannesburg CBD in fear of possible xenophobic attacks.
Stores along several busy streets including Jeppe, Bree and Sauer were closed on Wednesday.
Bangladeshi shop owner, Sheikh Syed says he's stopped trading after receiving calls from fellow shop owners that people were planning to loot their stores.
Metro police officers are visible and are patrolling the area.
A group of people clashed with foreign nationals and threw bricks at each other in Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon
One Somali national was beaten up in the skirmishes that lasted several minutes.
