Johannesburg - Police had cleared protesters off the M2 near Denver and the earlier protests around the city appeared to have calmed just before midnight on Friday, Johannesburg metro police said.
''The situation is calmer. Jeppe and Alexandra are being monitored,'' said spokesperson Wayne Minnaar.
They were isolated incidents and were ''nothing to worry about'', he said in response to concerns over whether it was safe to travel in the city.
''The people who were on the freeway were cleared. There are a lot of officers on duty tonight sent to trouble spots to contain the situation.''
Earlier, metro police rescued two men in Protea Glen, Soweto, who were about to be set alight after they were accused of trying to rob a Pakistani shopkeeper.
They were later arrested and a third person pointed out by the crowd and accused of being part of the attempted robbery was also arrested.
Protests and the stoning of passing cars started in the Jeppestown area earlier this week, as confrontations between police, locals and foreigners in Durban and its surrounds escalated.
Six people have died in the violence since last Friday.