By Steve Bhengu
Champagne, high-end fashion brands, latest phones, and free accommodation are some of the things used by human trafficking syndicates to lure young females from as early as 20 years old.
For an unemployed individual, this is more enticing, and often that’s one of the hidden requirements for syndicates that operate in human trafficking and child labour exploitation. A similar story to this is the recent controversial Russian Alabuga Start Programme, which was “pushed” by well-known local influencers hoping to recruit.
The controversial programme which runs for two years in Russia got attention when Cyan Boujee (Honour Zuma), among others took to her socials to talk about it.
In the video, she is seen touring what was believed to be one of the accommodation and lifestyle facilities, which she deemed as “Russia’s Tatarstan economic zone,” and explaining about the so-called exciting opportunities under the programme.
During her explanation, she touched on that after the training, you’ll end up in various venues, where it was also explained that the programme is for girls aged between 18 and 22. That alone raised alarms, which said this is a designated and credible agency that handles the screening and visa processes on behalf of the company, and the credentials of the programme itself. After all, most reputable academic and training institutions like nothing more than to brag about their stamp of approval.
Reputable media outlets and journalists did their own investigation where they spoke to South African women who mentioned that they were repeatedly pestered by the programme’s personnel to share their personal details, their emails were spammed so as their WhatsApp platforms. These women alluded that this felt unusual and suspicious.
Another media house went as far as making a direct call to the Alabuga Start Programme offices which resulted to a call being transferred to a woman who had a thick Russian accent, saying they must head to the website – shying away from answering the questions posed to her.
More articles surfaced and they mentioed forced labour and exploitative conditions that violated tons of labour laws in Russia. However, all of this revealed that the programme started last year as it was targeting young girls from Africa, mostly from Central and Eastern region of the continent as 200 girls have been recruited already, writes Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.
One would ask, What makes South Africa such an inviting location for trafficking syndicates? Well, we first need to understand what human trafficking is. Which described as a global criminal act of exploiting people for profit as described by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It further explains that it can be done by means of bogus promises of job and education. In the latest case of South African women, the traces are clear of unrealistic job education promises, pressure and manipulation and how influential people who live an attractive lifestyle were added cherry on top.
Statistics South Africa also shows that the unemployment number of people in the country stand at 33.2% during the second quarter of 2025. Of this figure, the majority were women with 35.9%. So, in what’s considered to be one of the most uneven societies in the world, it becomes understandable the amount of pressure, frustration and helplessness an unemployed young person living in South Africa would feel on a daily basis.
Social media account of Cyan Boujee’s TikTok account with a following of 1.8 million, were banned following an outcry, along with that of Sim Mango with 2.8 million followers among other few accounts, writes Sunday World. However, this raises a question around whether the damage has possibly already been done.
In conclusion, it has become highly concerning how glomourised unemployment has been orchestrated through the use of influencers and lavish lifestyles flashed before the very eyes of the most desperate segment of the youth.
We can also not rule out that human trafficking, as a global scourge, has been around for many years, but its evolution through the use of flashy elements in an ever-growing capitalist environment encourages keeping up with the Joneses, marking the start of a new pandemic. It’s times like these that it becomes prudent to circle back to old and tested sayings, such as “Not all that glitters is gold,” which could potentially save many lives.
