This after the circulation of social media videos – through prominent South African influencers – of controversial and possibly illegal job opportunities in Russia.

The videos circulated by the influencers are targeted at young women between the ages of 18 and 22.

“Let me be clear: these offers are not endorsed by the Government of South Africa. Never rely solely on social media promotions or unsolicited social media advertisements. Always cross-check and verify job opportunities through official channels,” Nel said.

The Deputy Minister acknowledged the “desperation created by high levels of youth unemployment, particularly among young women”, which could lead to dangerous situations.

“These vulnerabilities must not be exploited. Government remains committed to creating safe and sustainable employment pathways through initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the National Youth Service, and skills development programmes,” he said.

Nel emphasised that a ‘whole of society’ approach is required to protect young lives.

“We call upon all sectors of society – government, civil society, business and communities – to work together to protect our youth from predators who seek to profit from their hopes and dreams.

“The safety, dignity and futures of our young people are not for sale. Human trafficking is a scourge that we must confront with unity, vigilance, and unshakable resolve,” Nel said.

Echoing the Deputy Minister’s sentiments on the dangers of human trafficking, the department relayed the example of some 23 South Africans who were rescued and repatriated from Myanmar in March.

“Before leaving South Africa in 2024, they were lured to the Kingdom of Thailand under false pretences by an employment agency that promised them lucrative jobs that were advertised on various social media platforms. These adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses and other lucrative benefits.

“Once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will. The victims were held captive for more than four months in a cybercrime compound in Myanmar. They were subjected to brutal treatment, intimidation, physical torture and forced labour. They were also compelled to engage in illicit activities, including online scams that targeted individuals worldwide,” the department said.

Before accepting any international offer, use the following channels to verify its authenticity:

• The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
• The Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL).
• The Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
• The South African Police Service (SAPS).

“It is also imperative that any person taking up a job offer or opportunity overseas must first enquire from the country where the employment is offered as to what the legal travel and legal working requirements are, in respect of that country.

“Trafficking in persons is a reality, with South Africa being regarded as a source, transit and destination country for trafficking in persons. Recent data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has documented a 25% global increase in detected trafficking of victims, with children accounting [for] 38%.

“The department… working with the National Intersectoral Committee on Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP), provincial task teams, and rapid response units established under the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2013 (Act 7 of 2013), continues to strengthen South Africa’s collective response to trafficking in persons.

“Our work includes enhancing investigations and prosecutions of trafficking offences, building cross-border partnerships with international counterparts and expanding public awareness campaigns to alert communities to the methods used by traffickers,” the department said.

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“The Gauteng Provincial Legislature commends the successful joint operation led by the Gauteng Hawks, Sandringham Police, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, and a private security company, which resulted in the rescue of 26 men believed to be Ethiopian nationals and the arrest of three suspects allegedly linked to human trafficking in Johannesburg,” it said in a statement on Friday.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), authorities responded to a tip-off from neighbours about suspicious activities at a residence in the area. Upon their arrival on Thursday, they found 15 naked individuals, suspected to be Ethiopian nationals held captive inside the house.

Eleven others were transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

The Hawks said the three suspects, who were allegedly involved in human trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, were  found with a 9mm P Tokarev pistol, one magazine and no ammunition.

The provincial legislature said that human trafficking is a heinous crime and a gross violation of human rights, affecting millions of vulnerable individuals globally.

“The legislature is deeply concerned about the increasing prevalence of human trafficking in our province, where incidents have alarmingly risen four-fold over recent years. The Gauteng Provincial Legislature urges law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts to bring all perpetrators of these crimes to justice. As a law-making institution, we firmly support ongoing investigations and look forward to seeing further arrests and prosecutions in this matter,” said the GPL.

In September 2024, the GPL launched a province-wide campaign to raise awareness in communities of the scourge of human trafficking.

“This work is ongoing as we embark on roadshows across the five regions in Gauteng focusing, primarily on hotspot areas. This initiative has fostered greater collaboration among NGOs [non-government organisations], government departments, and other like-minded organisations to strengthen efforts to eradicate human trafficking in Gauteng.”

The legislature added that while it does not directly handle individual cases, it has taken proactive measures to address the issue including working closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and participating in the Provincial Task Team, which brings together key government stakeholders to tackle this growing challenge.

“The GPL remains committed to the protection of vulnerable individuals and [to] uphold the dignity and rights of all people. Together, through collective action and enhanced cooperation, we can bring an end to human trafficking and make Gauteng a safer place for everyone,” it said.

Additional charges

Meanwhile, the Hawks said that the suspects will also face additional charges for
their alleged involvement in trafficking in persons, kidnapping, extortion and contravention of the Immigration Act.

“Further investigation revealed that one of the victims was identified as a victim of a kidnapping case reported in Benoni in November 2024. The suspects allegedly demanded a ransom of R180 000.

“Three more victims were interviewed with the assistance of an Ethiopian interpreter and it was established that they reportedly came to the country willingly. The interpreter will be aided by three additional interpreters from the Ethiopian Embassy to complete the statement-taking process on Monday, 13 January 2025,” said the Hawks.

The suspects will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Monday, 13 January 2025, to face charges related to the Benoni kidnapping case.

“Additional charges of human trafficking or smuggling will be finalised after all victims have been interviewed.”

In addition, the Provincial Head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa welcomed the developments and said the breakthrough on this case is a testament to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in combating trafficking and smuggling of migrants and related crimes.

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On the afternoon of Monday, 9 December 2024, a South African taxi driver was arrested at the Beitbridge Port of Entry while attempting to smuggle 25 undocumented foreign nationals into the country. Among the group were 20 children, aged between 5 and 14, who were being transported under ‘dangerous and inhumane conditions’.

The vehicle involved in the operation was immediately impounded, and the driver was charged and is currently in police custody. A conveyance fine of R375 000 was issued in accordance with the Immigration Act. Following established protocols, the children were handed over to Zimbabwean child welfare authorities for their safety and care while investigations continue.

Acting Commissioner of the BMA, Jane Thupana, praised the swift response of the officers involved, stating: “This operation underscores the BMA’s determination to dismantle criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals, particularly children. The trafficking and smuggling of people not only undermine human dignity but also threaten border security. The BMA remains vigilant in safeguarding South Africa’s Ports of Entry and protecting those at risk.”

The BMA continues to collaborate closely with other law enforcement agencies to combat these illegal activities, it said in a statement, adding that the Authority urges the public to report any suspicious activities related to human trafficking and smuggling, helping to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and victims are protected.

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Traffickers force both adults and children, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and rural areas as well as migrants, into begging, domestic service, mining, food services, construction, criminal activities, agriculture, and the fishing sector. Traffickers may exploit South Africans in forced labour on vineyards and fruit and vegetable farms across the country, the report stated.

“High unemployment and socioeconomic stratification increased vulnerability to exploitation, particularly of youth, black women, and foreign migrants. Traffickers recruit victims who are unemployed and struggle with substance use, and commonly use substances to maintain control of victims, including children. Parents with drug addictions sometimes exploit their children in sex trafficking to pay for drugs,” the report found.

Traffickers entice foreign and South African women and girls with the promise of marriage and then exploit them in labour trafficking. Abuse of the custom of ukuthwala, a cultural norm that can manifest into forced marriage, may contribute to vulnerability of girls and women to exploitation, particularly in the Eastern Cape and KZN.

Syndicates, predominantly operated by Nigerians, force women from Nigeria and countries bordering South Africa into commercial sex, primarily in brothels and other commercial-front establishments. South African organized trafficking syndicates exploit girls as young as 10 in sex trafficking, according to the report. Some well-known brothels, previously identified as sex trafficking locations, continue to operate with officials’ tacit approval. In some cases, traffickers exploit women in brothels disguised as guesthouses.

Syndicates also recruit South African women to Europe, where traffickers force some into sex trafficking, domestic service, or drug smuggling.

Official complicity in trafficking crimes, especially by police and immigration officials, facilitates the operation of traffickers and organised syndicates engaging in trafficking. Mozambican crime syndicates use the eastern border of Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, enabled by corrupt officials, to transport migrants to other parts of the country for forced labour, through the same routes used by syndicates to facilitate other crimes.

Syndicates also exploit miners, both South African and foreign migrants, sometimes known as Zama Zamas, in illegal gold, diamond, and coal mining; miners are exposed to dangerous conditions and sometimes killed by gangs vying for control of mines.

An international organization reported that undocumented children are one of the most vulnerable populations in South Africa for exploitation, including for forced criminality. Children are vulnerable to forced criminality by criminal organizations, particularly drug trafficking. Boys from Eswatini and Lesotho are trafficked for forced labour in illegal mining. Children are exploited in sex trafficking, particularly in Gauteng and Western Cape, including in massage parlours. Some families living in poverty exploit their daughters in sex trafficking in exchange for money and goods. Some families rent out their children to begging syndicates in Durban.

Traffickers operating in South Africa are mostly from Nigeria and South Africa; however, there were reports of traffickers from Bangladesh, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Owners of privately-owned PRC businesses exploit PRC nationals, South African, and Malawian adults and children in factories, sweatshops, and other businesses.

Recruiters entice women from the Middle East, Asia, and countries bordering South Africa with offers of legitimate employment but, upon arrival, some subject the women to sex trafficking, and forced labour in the service sector or domestic servitude. The US report found that traffickers exploit Basotho women in sex trafficking and domestic servitude and men in labour trafficking, particularly in the mining and textile sectors, in South Africa.

The State Department’s investigation into trafficking in South Africa ranked the country as a Tier 2 country, which means while the government does not fully meet minimum standards, there is a concerted effort to bring South Africa into compliance with these standards. The report notes “the government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period,” which resulted in an upgrade to Tier 2 status (Tier 1 is the highest ranking, indicating the government has demonstrated “appreciable progress,” and represents a responsibility to continue combating human trafficking).

Demonstrated efforts by South Africa include the increase in prosecutions of traffickers, the identification of victims, and “increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims.”

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The report places countries into one of four tiers, based on the government of the country’s effort to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum standards, aimed at eliminating human trafficking. Tier 1 is the highest ranking, indicating the government has demonstrated “appreciable progress,” and represents a responsibility to continue combating human trafficking.

Rankings reflect an assessment of the enactment of laws prohibiting severe forms of trafficking, the implementation of those laws through “vigorous prosecution,” proactive victim identification measures, victim protection efforts and partnerships with NGOs among others, according to the State Department.

South Africa has been ranked as a Tier 2 country, which means while the government “does not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards,” there is a concerted effort to bring South Africa into compliance with the standards. The report notes “the government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period,” which resulted in an upgrade to Tier 2 status. The demonstrated efforts include the increase in prosecutions of traffickers, the identification of victims, and “increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims.”

There were, however, several areas where the minimum standards were not met. The report notes that “agencies responsible for identifying, referring, and certifying trafficking victims lacked coordination.” Furthermore, gaps in the understanding of human trafficking and referral procedures “likely hindered overall protection efforts.”

Victim Services “remained insufficient,” with notable delays in the granting of official status “resulted in some victims being unable to access timely emergency shelter and services.” The effort of law enforcement showed a continuous lack of necessary capacity and training, which resulted in ineffective identification and referral of victims to the necessary care facilities. Low-level corruption and “complicity in trafficking crimes” have persisted, which has hindered the overall effort to combat trafficking.

Among the prioritised recommendations the report lists, is to increase efforts by authorities to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes. Further, prosecutors should “seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, including complicit officials, which should involve significant prison terms.”

Authorities must effectively implement the standard procedures for victim identification and referral to care and focus on proactive identification of trafficking victims through screening, particularly through trafficking indicators during law enforcement operations and labour inspections. The vulnerable populations identified by the report include migrant workers, individuals in the commercial sex trade, refugees, asylum seekers, and Cuban government-affiliated medical workers.

The report recommends that government “promulgate and implement the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) immigration provisions in Chapters 3 and 7 of PACOTIP, including Sections 15, 16, and 31(2)(b)(ii) to ensure the issuance of appropriate immigration status and identification documents for trafficking victims.” This should be done along with a significant increase in resources and training for South African Police Service officers and Department of Social Development (DSD) officials, allowing them to effectively make use of victim identification and referral procedures. Of particular importance is training in “trauma-informed interviewing techniques.”

Noting some of the government’s success, the report lists three main areas, prosecution, protection and prevention.

Prosecution

Government has increased efforts in anti-trafficking law enforcement, with the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act (PACOTIP) hailed for imposing penalties deemed “sufficiently stringent.” The act is further praised as it corresponds “with those for other grave crimes, such as rape.” However, PACOTIP’s immigration provisions, Section 15 and 16, have not formally been adopted by parliament, with these viewed as critical sections requiring action.

The Criminal Law Amendment Act (CLAA) prescribes penalties for the sexual trafficking of children and adults, with penalties up to life imprisonment. Amendment of the Basic Conditions of Employment, introduced in 2014, prescribes penalties and criminalises forced labour.

The National Prosecuting Authority was applauded for prosecuting 123 suspects, up from 30 in the previous reporting period. Prosecution of 109 suspects continued from the previous period. Authorities however, reported difficulties in the gathering of evidence for trafficking cases, highlighting the need for “improved co-ordination between investigators and prosecutors.”

Observers noted that investigators and prosecutors have had competing priorities, particularly involving other crime cases, with a backlog of cases as a result.

Protection

Government has increased screening for trafficking indicators, especially among the most vulnerable populations, namely irregular migrants and individuals involved in commercial sex. The Department of Home Affairs reported screening 46 migrants for trafficking. Additionally, DSD social workers and civil society groups coordinated to carry out screening for trafficking indicators during law enforcement operations at establishments associated with the commercial sex trade.

Civil society groups reported an increase in collaboration with law enforcement, with officers possessing an increased awareness for human trafficking crimes.

Government was reported to have provided shelter, food, medical care and psycho-social support to trafficking victims, with the assistance of interpreters. Government oversight of NGO multi-purpose shelters increase from 18 shelters to 19, with one shelter now operated by government.

The report notes with concern that “by law trafficking victims were not required to participate in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers; however, in practice, many victims had to report to law enforcement to access services.”

Of particular concern was a previous lack of training and agency awareness, which delayed victims’ ability to receive care, increasing the likelihood that victims were found by their traffickers. Further, while foreign victims were entitled to the same level of care as South African victims, they faced additional barriers to access necessary care and justice.

Prevention

Government’s efforts to prevent trafficking remained mixed, with efforts coordinated through the National Inter-ministerial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP), which only met quarterly, the State Department found. Three new agencies joined the NICTIP, namely the Border Management Authority, the Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Team, and the Financial Intelligence Centre.

“The government did not comprehensively monitor or investigate forced labour of adults or children in the agricultural, mining, and construction sectors, and labour inspectors lacked necessary training to effectively identify trafficking,” the State Department report said. KwaZulu-Natal proved to be a difficult province for inspectors, who have the legal authority to investigate private farms, but were unable to do so “due to safety concerns.”

While the Labour Inspectorate conducted 303 877 inspections, it did not report any cases of forced labour. Anti-trafficking training has been provided to labour inspectors, with assistance from international organisations.

Observers noted DHA rarely provided vulnerable migrants with the necessary immigration documentation, which resulted in children being unable to enrol in schools, increasing vulnerabilities to trafficking.

While the SAPS operates a crime hotline where reports of potential trafficking can be made, it only resulted in 14 investigations and one confirmed trafficking case. The majority of trafficking-related calls were referred to the NGO-operated National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH). The NHTH received 3 613 calls, identifying 42 victims of trafficking, down from 50 in the previous period of reporting.

Government has continued to raised awareness throughout the country, in collaboration with international organisations. “Observers noted increased awareness raising efforts on child labour and forced labour in agriculture.” The South African National Defence Force, which patrols the country’s land borders and regularly intercepts irregular migrants, operates a hotline for reporting incidents of sexual exploitation by soldiers. However, they did not report whether they received any calls. International observers noted 74 allegations of sexual exploitation with indications of trafficking, by SANDF peacekeepers deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2015.

Cuban government-affiliated medical workers remain a concern, with 432 reported to be in South Africa at the end of 2022. While they are in control of their own passports and credentials, it is not clear if they control their own bank accounts. In 2022, a report informed by testimony from 18 former workers revealed 45% were under constant surveillance, 48% were subject to “movement restrictions”, 72% reported threats of violence and 80% reported being exploited. Additionally, 50% reported being forced to enrol in the programme by Cuban authorities.

The report lays clear that while the government has made significant effort to address human trafficking, there is still much room for improvement.

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