Lured by jobs, forced into crime - the SA youth being trafficked abroad

SOUTH Africa’s youth unemployment crisis is quietly fuelling an international cyber-slavery economy.

With youth unemployment sitting at a staggering 46.1 percent, desperate young people are being lured by promises of lucrative jobs abroad, only to find themselves trapped in foreign compounds, forced to commit cybercrime, and subjected to violence, intimidation and, in some cases, threats of execution.

Southeast Asia has emerged as a hub for these cyber-trafficking networks. Since last year, more than 120 South Africans have been rescued from Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. Last week, at least 20 returned home, with another group repatriated on Tuesday. Experts warn that countless more remain undocumented and at risk. The crisis is likely to deepen, with 4.9 million unemployed youth, according to Statistics South Africa figures.

Donaldson Chapepe from the NGO Brave To Love has been working to bring victims home, providing air tickets, care packs and counselling services, while co-ordinating efforts with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

He said victims were recruited mainly through Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp advertisements promising fully paid flights, accommodation and well-paid work in hospitality, IT, technical support or teaching English.

“People are desperate. People are looking for jobs. People are vulnerable. And when people are desperate, it’s easy to take advantage of them.”

Chapepe said victims believed they would be based in Thailand, but once they landed, they were forced into vehicles for an eight-hour drive to the border, followed by a dangerous river crossing into Myanmar.

“Along the way, they change cars, and it gets rougher and rougher. And there are guns involved.”

From the border, victims were taken to massive scam compounds housing thousands of trafficked people and run by organised criminal networks.

“It’s a huge compound by the border, with multiple buildings. People are kept there and forced to scam others online. They’re given computers, scripts, and trained to scam people through dating sites, crypto and investment schemes,” Chapepe explained.

Victims sleep on the floor in shared rooms and are beaten publicly to enforce obedience. Some have been threatened with execution by electric chair.

“To survive, you must comply. Victims are beaten in front of others as a warning,” Chapepe said, adding that some are coerced into recruiting other South Africans to repay travel costs — turning victims into unwilling perpetrators.

Many victims who escaped have secretly contacted South Africans for help, while others were freed during military raids on the compounds.

“Some of them risked their lives to communicate with us. They had to delete all traces of their messages just to ask for help.”

This week, the Independent on Saturday spoke to cyber-security expert Dr Colin (Surendra) Thakur, who said what began as identity theft and digital deception had evolved into enterprise-level organised crime.

“Sophisticated criminal networks are now deceptively recruiting or kidnapping vulnerable individuals, often unemployed youth, and coercing them into operating cyber-scam centres,” he said. “Escape is nearly impossible. Compliance is enforced through threats, violence and food deprivation. These victims are not just targets of cybercrime — they are unwilling instruments within it.”

Thakur warned that the convergence of organised crime, human trafficking and cybercrime posed a serious risk.

“Failure to act decisively risks allowing South Africa’s unemployment crisis to be exploited as a recruitment pipeline for transnational criminal networks.”

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the past decade has seen a sharp rise in victims trafficked into cyber-enabled fraud. Detected in about 25 countries, Southeast Asia has become a global hotspot, with transnational criminal networks trafficking young professionals to operate scam centres in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) along the Mekong region.

The UNODC describes it as a billion-dollar industry with highly sophisticated operations. Directors oversee compounds, controllers enforce compliance through intimidation or violence, and agents — often nationals of the host country — manage transport and logistics, sometimes colluding with local authorities. In some cases, former victims are forced into becoming controllers themselves, perpetuating the cycle.

In South Africa, these networks are preying largely on people aged 18 to 35. Welcoming home victims this week, the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GSD) said they originated from provinces across the country and were repatriated by the National Intersectoral Committee on Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP), which includes government departments in law enforcement, social services and immigration.

The department said that while government agencies collaborate with foreign counterparts to identify and rescue victims, there is no centralised system to flag suspicious recruitment advertisements or track cross-border movements in real time.

“Prevention remains largely dependent on public vigilance,” the GSD said, adding that traffickers move quickly, operate across multiple jurisdictions and exploit inconsistent legal frameworks and risky security conditions, making rescue efforts complex and slow.

One of the repatriated victims, a 25-year-old man who prefers to be called The Don for fear of victimisation, said he was relieved to be home for the first time since leaving for Myanmar in November 2024.

He said he had been the breadwinner for his four siblings since 2022, following his mother’s death and the disappearance of his stepfather after her funeral.

“I had been working for a fuel distribution company for a year, and my contract was never renewed. Because of my family circumstances, I had to look for employment, and this opportunity came through.”

After communicating with recruiters via WhatsApp and email, the software developer said he was hired as a data capturer. Although accommodation and food were provided, conditions were harsh.

“My first red flag was when they organised my visa after I had already arrived, and the constant changing of vehicles — about 30 cars before we reached our destination.”

“We were never allowed to call our families back home. Because of my rebellious behaviour, I was fined and punished most of the time. The breakthrough came when someone died, the place was surrounded by the military and police, and we were rescued.”

Takalani Sekoba, the GSD’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) co-ordinator, said trafficking could be identified through three key elements: recruitment, transportation, and exploitation. He urged the public to be cautious of job offers that appeared too good to be true.

“Community members, parents, educators, and faith-based organisations are encouraged to verify all overseas employment opportunities before any travel arrangements are made.”

Jason Cogill, CEO of the National Freedom Network, said international employment was often viewed as a pathway out of poverty, placing unemployed youth and disadvantaged women at particular risk.

“As a nation, we should prioritise creating meaningful employment opportunities domestically, so that our citizens do not feel compelled to seek work abroad.”

Cogill said red flags included companies without official websites or registration, advertisements lacking contact details, recruiters refusing in-person meetings, requests for upfront payments, unrealistic salaries, and offers made without formal interviews or contracts.

“Survivors often experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and guilt. Counselling and family support are essential, and in some cases specialised psychological care is needed to help them rebuild their lives.”

The Department of Social Development (DSD) said that since 2024, at least 100 South Africans have been repatriated from Myanmar. 

Spokesperson Sandy Godlwana  said high unemployment rates and limited opportunities spurred victims to seek opportunities abroad. "Almost all the young people who returned from Myanmar reported to have been trying to improve their home circumstances by accepting the offer of employment in Thailand," she said. 

Investigations showed that the main forms of exploitation were sexual and forced labour. Those repatriated received psychosocial support, temporary shelter and other assistance because they lost their possessions during their escape from the Myanmar scamming compounds.

At the time of going to print, comment was still outstanding from SAPS, DIRCO and NICTIP.