S.Africa probes influencer promotions of recruitment to Russia

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South Africa said Monday it was investigating allegations of human trafficking after multiple social media influencers shared recruitment campaigns promising young women jobs in a Russia-based programme accused of abuses.

In videos shared to millions of followers, several South African influencers encouraged women aged 18 to 22 to join a programme called "Alabuga Start" with vague promises of international careers, flights, housing and Russian language classes in the central Russian region of Tatarstan.

An investigation by the Associated Press last year revealed that some women recruited into the programme -- many from African countries -- were forced to work in factories assembling attack drones for Russia's war in Ukraine.

South Africa's foreign affairs spokesman Chrispin Phiri told AFP the matter was "under investigation".

The ministry for women and youth expressed in a statement "grave concern over recent reports of alleged job offers circulating on social media that target young South African women aged 18 to 22 for employment opportunities in Russia".

"We urge our young people to be vigilant," it said.

In some of the videos, the female influencers were in Russia and toured what they identified as the headquarters of the programme located in the Alabuga special economic zone near the town of Yelabuga.

"Apparently girls are being treated fairly here -- Africans, Asians, Latin Americans," one said in a now-deleted video to her more than two million followers.Officials did not say how many women might have taken up the offer.

"Human trafficking syndicates are luring young people into all sorts of illegal activities under slave-like conditions," said the foreign ministry's head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela.

"So it is basically human trafficking because you essentially lose your freedom," he told Radio 702.

The government in March repatriated 23 South Africans rescued from online scam centres in Myanmar that allegedly held thousands of people from several countries with promises of high-paid jobs.