SA youth are prey for the predators

South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis, currently standing at a staggering 46.1%, has long been described as a ticking time bomb. However, as recent reports from Southeast Asia confirm, this domestic tragedy has evolved into a recruitment pipeline for a sinister global industry: cyber-slavery.

The repatriation this week of young South Africans from Myanmar and Thailand serves as a harrowing wake-up call. Our nation’s 4.9 million unemployed youth are no longer just statistics; they have become the primary targets for transnational criminal syndicates.

The mechanics of this exploitation are as sophisticated as they are brutal. Lured by the promise of lucrative IT or hospitality roles via social media, desperate jobseekers find themselves transported to fortified compounds. Once across the border, the "dream job" morphs into a nightmare of forced labour. These victims are coerced into executing online scams, ranging from cryptocurrency fraud to dating schemes.Compliance is not requested; it is extorted through public beatings, food deprivation, and threats of execution.

As cybersecurity expert Dr Colin Thakur notes, these individuals are not merely targets of cybercrime, but unwilling instruments within it. The bravery of NGOs like Brave To Love and the co-ordination of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) in facilitating rescues are commendable. Yet, reactive measures are insufficient against a billion-dollar industry.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development admits that prevention currently relies largely on public vigilance. This is a systemic failure. Without a centralised system to flag fraudulent recruitment or track suspicious cross-border movements, the state remains a step behind the traffickers.

South Africa must treat this as a national security priority. We cannot allow our economic vulnerabilities to be weaponised by foreign cartels. Beyond essential public awareness campaigns, the government must foster domestic opportunity to ensure our youth are not forced to seek survival away from our borders. Until we address the desperation at home, our children will remain prey for the predators abroad.