Young South Africans have been urged to be extra vigilant and scrutinise work/study/training programmes being touted on social media, as it has become one of the easiest ways to trick and ensnare victims of human trafficking, experts say.

The controversy arose after a furore unfolded this week when local influencer Cyan Boujee, whose real name is Honour Zuma, was linked to a controversial job scheme in Russia. In her video, she posted online advertising jobs for women aged between 18 and 22, which went viral.

In a now-deleted video, Zuma was promoting the Alabuga Start programme to her over 900,000 Instagram followers, where she highlighted aspects of Alabuga’s operations.

She was among a handful of other social media influencers who were sharing the purported job opportunity.

The debacle prompted Deputy Director-General at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Clayson Monyela, to speak out on social media.

“Please warn young people (girls in particular) not to fall for unverified foreign job offers….Some are being promoted by influencers on TikTok, Instagram & other SM platforms (sic).

“Human trafficking syndicates are luring people into all sorts of illegal activities under slave-life conditions. If something looks too good to be true, get a 2nd opinion. Contact @DIRCO_ZA or any of our embassies in the country of interest,” he said.

Please warn young people (girls in particular) not to fall for unverified foreign job offers….Some are being promoted by influencers on Tik Tok, Instagram & other SM platforms. Human trafficking syndicates are luring people into all sorts of illegal activities under slave-life…

— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) August 24, 2025

The Department of Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities also expressed grave concern over recent reports of alleged job offers circulating on social media.

“Although we recognise that South Africa faces unacceptably high youth unemployment, especially among young women, this harsh reality must never be exploited through false job offers.

“The ministry emphasises that government-backed international employment opportunities are organised through official diplomatic channels and formal bilateral agreements between governments. We can confirm that the so-called work opportunities advertised on social media for positions in Russia are not facilitated by any government intervention.

“Young people are therefore urged to exercise extreme caution when engaging with unsolicited offers for international employment, particularly those distributed via social media and other online platforms,” the department said.

“We urge our young people to be vigilant. Before considering any international work or education opportunity, their authenticity must be verified with relevant authorities, including DIRCO and its missions abroad, foreign embassies or missions within South Africa of the intended country of travel.”

In March, Dirco rescued several South Africans in Thailand, after they were lured into a sophisticated human trafficking ring with the false promise of employment in Myanmar.

They are among thousands from around the world caught in an intricate web of exploitation run by an international crime syndicate.

The conditions were described as modern-day slavery, which involved working up to 16-hour days, being subjected to violence, torture, and coercion.

Founder and Director of Small Voice Human Trafficking, Jacqueline “Jacs” Fourie, said that social media is the biggest and easiest way to ensnare people into human trafficking.

“The bonus of using social media as a platform for traffickers is that there is absolutely no verification of the message, the person sending the message, or the legitimacy of the message.

“Another issue is that our younger generation (children and young adults) are all desperate in some form – whether it is to get a job, make money, become famous, or just to find someone who ‘loves’ and ‘cares’ about them due to circumstances at home or low self-esteem.

“As such, they are eager to engage with an unknown person on the other side whom they feel they can trust. And traffickers are smart, they know exactly how to ‘play’ with a potential victim when they take the first step of responding to the post,” Fourie said.

Fourie added that, regarding online job opportunities, “this has been going on for years now”, but that this system of recruiting has expanded and is now also targeting people to work overseas.

“Trafficking does not just happen overseas (that is just a smaller portion of where victims end up). We have a bigger problem of people being recruited in our own country to come work in another province, where they then find themselves victims of trafficking.

“Traffickers always stay a step ahead, as mentioned before – they know people are becoming more informed in not trusting unknown job opportunities (which can also, at times, turn into cases of scams). So they used the next big thing. Instead of using well-known brand names, they now use social media influencers,” Fourie said.

“Keep in mind, influencers are used to being asked (paid) to present a product, an event, or an opportunity. They get more exposure, a free trip, and are being glamourised even more.

“However, the public needs to remember that a lot of influencers advertise whatever they are offered without knowing what they are promoting. They are also duped into believing the dream sold to them and unwittingly play a role in recruiting victims,” she said.

Fourie added that influencers do, however, need to take more responsibility for whatever they are endorsing and find out more.

Western Cape Social Development MEC, Jaco Londt, added that it is important that independent research is done on the offer to ensure that the companies involved are reputable and the offers are legitimate.

“Do not rely solely on the word of celebrities and social media influencers, who are often paid to promote recruitment opportunities or services. Additional information should always be sought out.

“It is also important to research the country you are considering moving to, including local customs and laws, particularly labour laws,” Londt said.

Londt highlighted that a valuable resource is the A21 (funded Department of Social Development partner) guide for safe employment (available on their website), and that people can also request A21 to assist with checking the credentials of the offer.

“If anyone does take up an opportunity, they must ensure they have the means to return home in the case of an emergency or if the need arises. The Department of Social Development funds accredited organisations to provide psychosocial support services to victims of trafficking in persons.

“The department, in partnership with NPOs such as A21 and others, conducts awareness outreaches and advocacy work in this field. It must be noted that human trafficking can happen locally as well,” he said.

If people suspect trafficking in persons occurring, they are urged to report it to their nearest SAPS or phone the trafficking hotline at 0800 222 777.

Fourier added that more should be done to prepare and warn people.

“Everyone knows drugs are bad for you (you learn it at school, in your community, posters, word-of-mouth, etc). The same should be about trafficking in persons. Why do people still think it only happens in movies and overseas? Because no one is informing them about the human trafficking happening in South Africa.

“It is rife in our country, as people are not diligent or aware enough…”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

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