U.S. Dep't of State, 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report: South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA (Tier 2) The Government of South Africa does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore South Africa was upgraded to Tier 2. These efforts included increasing prosecutions of traffickers; identifying and referring more trafficking victims to protection services; and increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims. Government officials increased screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations and enhanced cooperation with civil society organizations on the identification of victims.

The government added three additional agencies to its National Inter-ministerial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP) to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. Agencies responsible for identifying, referring, and certifying trafficking victims lacked coordination, and knowledge gaps in understanding human trafficking and referral SOPs likely hindered overall protection efforts. Victim services remained insufficient and delays in granting victims official status resulted in some victims being unable to access timely emergency shelter and services.

Law enforcement continued to lack the necessary capacity and training to effectively identify and refer trafficking victims to care. Reports of low-level official corruption and complicity in trafficking crimes persisted, hindering overall anti-trafficking efforts. Government regulations to operationalize the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons (PACOTIP) Act’s immigration provisions awaited final adoption and were not yet in effect at the end of the reporting period. PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: Increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, including complicit officials, which should involve significant prison terms. * Using the SOPs for victim identification and referral to care, proactively identify trafficking victims by screening for trafficking indicators during law enforcement operations and labor inspections, and among vulnerable populations, including migrant workers, individuals in commercial sex, refugees and asylum seekers, and Cuban government-affiliated medical workers, and systematically refer trafficking victims to care. * Promulgate and implement the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) immigration provisions in Chapters 3 and 7 of PACOTIP, including Sections 15, 16, and 31(2)(b)(ii) to ensure the issuance of appropriate immigration status and identification documents for trafficking victims. * Significantly increase resources and training for front-line responders, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Department of Social Development (DSD) officials, to effectively use victim identification and referral SOPs to identify trafficking victims, distinguish trafficking in persons from other crimes, refer victims to protection services, and apply trauma-informed interviewing techniques. * Ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. * Increase collaboration between law enforcement and provincial DSDs in the victim identification process and streamline the procedure to issue letters of recognition. * Formalize a confidential reporting mechanism for civil society and trafficking victims to safely report allegations of official corruption and complicity in trafficking crimes directly to the government for vigorous investigation. * Implement policies to remove the requirement for victims to participate in investigations and prosecutions to be formally identified and receive trafficking victim status. * Accredit or establish additional shelters to accommodate the needs of male, LGBTQI+, and child trafficking victims. * Implement and consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, including by holding fraudulent labor recruiters criminally accountable. * Increase outreach and awareness efforts to vulnerable populations, especially for those engaging in commercial sex, in rural and agricultural communities, and foreign migrants. * Ensure all South African peacekeepers receive mandatory pre-departure anti-trafficking training; in collaboration with the UN, investigate all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving South African peacekeepers and hold accountable those complicit.

PROSECUTION

The government increased anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. PACOTIP criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of up to life in prison, a fine of up to 100 million South African rand ($5.9 million), or both. The penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those for other grave crimes, such as rape. The implementing regulations for PACOTIP’s immigration provisions found in Sections 15, 16, and 31(2)(b)(ii) were finalized and approved by the Minister of Home Affairs but not yet formally adopted by parliament and promulgated; therefore, critical sections of the act remained inactive for the eleventh consecutive year.

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offenses and related matters) Amendment Act of 2007 (CLAA) also criminalized the sex trafficking of children and adults and prescribed penalties of up to life in prison. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997, amended in 2014, criminalized forced labor and prescribed maximum penalties of three to six years’ imprisonment. In addition, the Children’s Amendment Act of 2005 prescribed penalties of five years to life in prison or fines for the use, procurement, or offer of a child for slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, or to commit crimes. Prosecutors sometimes relied on the Prevention of Organized Crime Act of 1998, in combination with CLAA, which added additional charges – such as money laundering, racketeering, or criminal gang activity – and increased penalties of convicted defendants.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI, or Hawks), a division of SAPS, investigated 156 trafficking cases, – compared with investigating 29 cases in the previous reporting period. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reported prosecuting 123 suspects (28 for sex trafficking, 13 for forced labor, and 82 for unspecified trafficking) and continued the prosecution of 109 suspects from prior reporting periods, compared with prosecuting 30 suspects during the previous reporting period. The government convicted 12 sex traffickers, compared with convicting 14 traffickers in the previous reporting period. Because of the tendency to conflate trafficking crimes with cases involving forced marriage and illegal adoption without the purpose of exploitation, some of the cases involving unspecified exploitation contained elements inconsistent with the international law definition.

Authorities reported difficulties in gathering evidence on trafficking crimes and the need for improved coordination between investigators and prosecutors. Observers noted SAPS was understaffed, under-resourced, and inadequately trained on its SOPs, hindering anti-trafficking efforts. The government established a national case monitoring task team to guide investigations and prosecutions of trafficking cases. Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action.

The government charged a school principal for the sex trafficking of children during the reporting period; the case remained ongoing. Observers and government officials continued to report widespread corruption particularly among DHA, the Department of Social Development (DSD), SAPS, and DPCI. Observers reported law enforcement often accepted bribes and some traffickers operated with impunity due to connections with high-ranking officials. Observers reported high-level law enforcement officials obstructed trafficking investigations.

Observers previously reported some SAPS officers were unwilling to investigate cases – particularly of children forced to engage in street vending or begging – and relied on NGOs to obtain victims’ statements and build cases. Authorities often heavily relied on victim testimony and did not use investigative measures to corroborate evidence. Observers reported prior cases of sex trafficking of Basotho women from Lesotho in South African brothels; however, due to alleged official complicity of both Basotho and South African officials linked to the brothels, they continued to operate with impunity. Civil society reported distrust in law enforcement and fear of violent retaliation when reporting corruption cases; civil society also reported the need for a safe mechanism to report corruption, including reports of officials complicit in human trafficking crimes, to facilitate investigations and to avoid retribution.

The government reported the existence of several secure mechanisms to report corruption but did not specify if any were sensitive to the specific considerations of human trafficking crimes. Although not explicitly reported as human trafficking, an international organization reported there were 24 new allegations of alleged sexual exploitation with trafficking indicators by South African peacekeepers deployed to the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2023 and 2024. The government reported sending eight peacekeepers back to South Africa during the reporting period, but it had not yet reported the accountability measures taken, if any, for the open cases at the end of the reporting period. DPCI had a national anti-trafficking coordinator, four investigators to provide operational support, and provincial anti-trafficking coordinators in all nine districts; however, there were no officers or staff solely dedicated to anti-trafficking efforts.

The SAPS family, child, and sexual offense unit handled trafficking crimes involving children, and its anti-trafficking unit within its General Detectives section primarily handled trafficking crimes involving adults. Observers reported SAPS was sometimes slow to investigate leads generated by other law enforcement agencies. Observers reported investigators and prosecutors had competing priorities involving other crime cases, resulting in case backlogs. The government continued to provide anti-trafficking training to law enforcement, including in collaboration with international organizations and foreign donors.

However, law enforcement agencies lacked sufficient training and resources to investigate all reported trafficking cases adequately and appropriately. Observers reported law enforcement had insufficient training in trauma-informed interviewing and victim care, resulting in cases of investigators retraumatizing victims or not taking victims’ statements. The lack of clarity on case status, low prospect of success, and sometimes years-long delays in cases dissuaded some victims from participating in trials. The government participated in regional dialogues to enhance law enforcement collaboration and information sharing.

SAPS collaborated with INTERPOL and the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) in law enforcement operations against transnational organized crime, including human trafficking.

PROTECTION

The government increased protection efforts. The government identified and referred 291 trafficking victims to care, including 67 labor trafficking victims (65 male and two female victims, including one child), 26 sex trafficking victims (26 female victims, including 10 children), and 198 victims of unspecified forms of trafficking, compared with identifying and referring to care 74 trafficking victims the previous reporting period. Observers previously reported official statistics did not reflect the scope of trafficking, since institutional problems and lack of proactive screening resulted in some victims remaining unidentified by the government. Conflation between human trafficking and other crimes also led to the misidentification of trafficking victims as victims of other crimes.

Most agencies, including SAPS, DSD, NPA, and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJCD), used SOPs adapted for each agency to identify and refer trafficking victims to care, developed in accordance with PACOTIP and support from an international organization; however, agencies and provinces implemented the SOPs inconsistently. The government trained social workers and healthcare staff on victim identification and services for child trafficking victims. Observers reported child protection service providers were understaffed, which resulted in delays in victim assistance. The government increased screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations, including irregular migrants and individuals in commercial sex.

DHA reported screening 46 migrants for trafficking. Authorities reported law enforcement coordinated with DSD social workers and civil society organizations to conduct screening for trafficking indicators during law enforcement operations at commercial sex establishments. Civil society organizations reported increased collaboration with law enforcement and increased attention by officials to human trafficking crimes. Despite these efforts, due to inconsistent use of formal identification procedures, authorities detained and deported some unidentified trafficking victims and likely inappropriately penalized trafficking victims for offenses committed as a direct result of being trafficked, including immigration offenses.

In the previous reporting period, the government detained and deported trafficking victims after identification as trafficking victims, and the government did not screen detained migrants for trafficking. The government reported providing trafficking victims with temporary emergency shelter, food assistance, interpreters, specialized medical care, psycho-social support, vocational training, and transportation. Observers previously reported that a lack of training, awareness of agency responsibilities, or coordination by government officials created delays for victims in receiving care, while increasing the potential for victims to return to – or be found by – their traffickers. Observers reported reductions in government funding for NGOs limited victim services and jeopardized shelter operations.

By law, trafficking victims were not required to participate in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers; however, in practice, many victims had to report to law enforcement to access services. However, the government reported trafficking victims had the option to speak with a government service provider instead of law enforcement in some cases at the beginning of the investigation to avoid re-traumatization; however, it did not report whether any victims used this option or how it publicized this option. For certification as a trafficking victim – the process that permitted victims to access government services and benefits – victims had to report their cases to SAPS, which in turn was required to confirm the trafficking allegations, file human trafficking charges within 48 hours, and coordinate with the provincial DSD representative. DSD was responsible for certifying trafficking victim status by issuing a letter of recognition, authorizing and monitoring the provision of protective services, preparing victim-witnesses for court, and accompanying victims through trial and repatriation, if applicable.

The anti-trafficking law stated that the provincial DSD must, without delay, assess whether a person is a trafficking victim after receiving information from law enforcement; however, observers reported instances of long delays, resulting in some victims unable to access timely emergency shelter and services, hindering overall protection efforts. Provincial Task Teams (PTTs) helped civil society organizations obtain recognition letters for victims in some instances. Authorities reported victims without formal recognition letters could receive shelter and reintegration services; however, it was unclear how many victims received such services before obtaining official trafficking victim status. Observers previously reported that in numerous instances, SAPS, DPCI, and DSD left victims at police stations overnight if their case was opened at or after close of business.

After reporting to SAPS, within the same 48-hour period, victims had to decide whether to participate in criminal justice proceedings. To circumvent the existing process in Western Cape, DSD and the Department of Health (DOH) had SOPs that permitted medical and psychological assessments for victims before certification to access immediate care. The government continued oversight of 19 NGO-run multipurpose shelters, compared with 18 during the previous reporting period, operated one government multipurpose shelter that could assist trafficking victims, and accredited or extended accreditation for nine shelters during the reporting period. These shelters continued providing services to trafficking victims; however, the government did not report how many victims were assisted.

The government reported one additional shelter was established in Free State that was not yet accredited but could assist victims. Each province had at least one accredited multipurpose shelter. Standards of care determined the accreditation status of shelters, an assessment from authorities determined if they are appropriate for trafficking victims, and accreditation lasted either two or four years before reevaluation. Victims were not permitted to leave shelters without police escort but could discontinue shelter services at any time.

Shelter services could also be provided for child trafficking victims in Child and Youth Care Centers and for adults in Centers for Safety. Some child trafficking victims could be placed in the care of relatives or foster families. Authorities reported most government shelters could only accommodate victims’ children if they were also trafficking victims. Some shelters had the capacity to provide long-term services (beyond six months).

The government also operated a network of 65 Thuthuzela Care Centers (TCCs) – full-service crisis centers to assist victims of GBV, including trafficking victims – adding one new TCC during the reporting period. Some observers reported good quality of care for victims at some TCCs. Additional NGO-operated shelters, unaccredited by the government, also provided care specifically to trafficking victims. The government provided NGO-operated multi-purpose shelters a stipend on a per-person, per-night basis; however, these shelters reported funds were generally inaccessible after business hours, due to unresponsiveness by SAPS and DSD.

Observers reported significant funding gaps for shelters, inconsistency in government funding to NGOs, and not enough shelters to support victims hindered overall protection efforts. While the government had dedicated funding to support DSD and NGO-run shelters, more than half of the budget for shelters came from private donors. The government maintained accreditation for one shelter serving male trafficking victims in Gauteng; however, authorities reported an overall lack of shelters for male victims. Shelters accessible to persons with disabilities provided limited services; it was unknown if trafficking victims received these services during the reporting period.

In Gauteng, trafficking victims could receive substance use treatment through five accredited treatment centers; treatment was provided for 12 weeks. Observers reported government shelter staff sometimes neglected to inform victims of the status of criminal cases against traffickers. Foreign victims reported mistrust in shelters due to fear of deportation and ill treatment. Observers reported foreign victims faced discrimination, including by law enforcement, which hindered their identification and assistance.

Undocumented victims could not legally seek employment, even when cooperating with law enforcement, and their trials extended several years. Authorities reported a lack of services for repatriated trafficking victims, particularly long-term assistance. Trafficking victims participating in criminal justice proceedings had the option to testify via video conference and had access to psychological support during trials. The government could provide interpretation for victims’ oral testimony and translation for written statements.

The government reported 240 victims participated in criminal justice proceedings; however, it was likely that this number also included victims of other crimes. The government did not report providing victim-witness assistance to any victims. NGOs reported that traffickers were often released on bail and victims were fearful of retaliation. Trafficking victims were also eligible for legal assistance by NPA prosecutors and through South Africa’s Legal Aid and Juricare program.

Experts reported that rural women often lacked access to law enforcement to report crimes, including trafficking. PACOTIP allowed judges to order victim restitution in trafficking cases, but the government did not report any orders during the reporting period. Foreign victims were entitled to the same benefits as South African victims; however, foreign victims faced additional barriers to access care and justice. PACOTIP authorized trafficking victims to receive relief from deportation.

However, regulations guiding the implementation of this provision and handling of trafficking cases that were finalized and approved in the previous reporting period awaited final adoption by Parliament and were not yet in effect. PACOTIP entitled foreign trafficking victims to a visitor’s visa for 30 days, which could be extended if cooperating in an investigation or prosecution or if danger to the victim exists in their home country; however, the government did not report issuing these visas. DHA had a policy to issue temporary identification documentation for foreign trafficking victims, requiring renewal every two weeks and continued cooperation with SAPS; however, DHA did not report providing such documentation to any trafficking victims.

PREVENTION

The government maintained mixed efforts to prevent trafficking. The government coordinated anti-trafficking efforts through NICTIP, which was co-chaired by DOJCD and NPA, and met quarterly. Three government agencies joined NICTIP during the reporting period, including the Border Management Agency, the Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Team, and the Financial Intelligence Center. The government had a 2023-2026 National Policy Framework on the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons (NPF), which it developed in consultation with civil society and survivor experts.

DOJCD budgeted 2.96 million South African rand ($160,630) for the 2023-2024 fiscal year for the coordination and reporting of the implementation of the NPF compared with 1.7 million South African rand ($92,260) for the preceding fiscal year. DOJCD also chaired the National Rapid Response Team, which coordinated trafficking investigations and victim identifications and referrals. Established in all nine provinces, PTTs coordinated provincial policies and Provincial Rapid Response Teams facilitated local responses to trafficking cases and victim identifications, conducted awareness campaigns, and contributed to the implementation of the NPF. Representatives on both NICTIP and PTTs shared duties on multiple task teams for other crimes, such as GBV, which limited capacity and resources to address human trafficking.

Some observers noted a lack of productivity in PTT meetings and that some agencies did not participate, likely hindering overall efforts; however, other observers highlighted increased participation from authorities, which is likely due to differences in participation and efforts by province. The government did not comprehensively monitor or investigate forced labor of adults or children in the agricultural, mining, and construction sectors, and labor inspectors lacked necessary training to effectively identify trafficking. DOEL trained 94 inspectors on trafficking, the NPF, and child labor laws. While inspectors had the legal authority to investigate private farms, they reported difficulty in securing access.

An international organization reported labor inspectors were unable to conduct inspections in areas with high crime, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, due to safety concerns. The government did not report if labor inspectors had a mandate to report potential forced labor cases to law enforcement for investigation or if any inspectors referred such cases during the reporting period. The labor inspectorate reported conducting 303,877 inspections in 2023; however, it did not report if cases of forced labor were found. The government continued to provide anti-trafficking training to labor inspectors, including in collaboration with international organizations and foreign donors.

For the past four years, observers reported DHA did not often provide vulnerable migrant and refugee populations with proper immigration documentation, resulting in children being denied entry to schools, which increased vulnerabilities to trafficking. Although the law prohibited worker-paid recruitment fees, the government’s limited capacity hindered its ability to enforce this provision, especially in the informal sector. SAPS operated a crime hotline that could receive reports of potential trafficking cases and a mobile app that led to 14 investigations with one confirmed trafficking case. The government and civil society directed most trafficking-related calls to the NGO-operated National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH), which the government advertised.

The NHTH received a total of 3,613 calls and identified 42 trafficking victims during the reporting period, compared with 50 the previous reporting period. An NGO-operated national social justice hotline also received calls concerning human trafficking. The government continued to conduct awareness-raising activities throughout the country, some in collaboration with international organizations. Observers noted increased awareness raising efforts on child labor and forced labor in agriculture.

DSD continued to partner with a taxi union to raise awareness of trafficking among taxi drivers and commuters. The government’s efforts to implement a previously reported integrated data collection system faced challenges, and the government remained without means to collect human trafficking-related data. The South African National Defense Forces maintained a hotline for reports of sexual exploitation by armed forces but did not report whether it received any calls during the reporting period. An international organization reported there have been 74 allegations of sexual exploitation with trafficking indicators by South African peacekeepers deployed to the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC since 2015.

The Generic and Sector Specific Training Manual on the PACOTIP Act contained a training plan for peacekeepers; however, the government did not report providing anti-trafficking training to its troops prior to deployment as peacekeepers. The government made efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts by arresting buyers of commercial sex. For the first time, the government reported providing anti-trafficking training for its diplomatic personnel. TRAFFICKING PROFILE: As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in South Africa, and traffickers exploit victims from South Africa abroad.

Traffickers recruit victims from neighboring countries and rural areas within South Africa, particularly Gauteng, and exploit them in sex trafficking locally and in urban centers, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Bloemfontein. Traffickers force both adults and children, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and rural areas as well as migrants, into begging, domestic service, mining, food services, construction, criminal activities, agriculture, and the fishing sector. Traffickers may exploit South Africans in forced labor on vineyards and fruit and vegetable farms across the country. High unemployment and socioeconomic stratification increased vulnerability to exploitation, particularly of youth, black women, and foreign migrants.

Traffickers recruit victims who are unemployed and struggle with substance use, and commonly use substances to maintain control of victims, including children. Parents with drug addictions sometimes exploit their children in sex trafficking to pay for drugs. Traffickers entice foreign and South African women and girls with the promise of marriage and then exploit them in labor trafficking. Abuse of the custom of ukuthwala , a cultural norm that can manifest into forced marriage , may contribute to vulnerability of girls and women to exploitation, particularly in Eastern Cape and KZN.

Significant gaps in social protections put rural women at a higher risk of trafficking in South Africa. Some women are forced to pay “protection fees” to criminal organizations, which make them vulnerable to exploitation. According to a study, in 2021, approximately 500,000 children dropped out of school, resulting in a total of 750,000 children not enrolled in school; high death rates from the pandemic increased the orphan population, leaving more children vulnerable to exploitation. There were some reports of boys lured out of the country for fake sports scholarships and then forced into exploitation.

LGBTQI+ persons, particularly transgender persons and LGBTQI+ migrants, were especially at high risk for trafficking due to social stigmatization, including by government officials. Some individuals obtaining freelance jobs via mobile apps are susceptible to exploitation due to clients’ demands for additional work; concerns about potential repercussions from the company, including the risk of getting banned from the app, compound their vulnerability. Traffickers recruit both foreign and South African victims through fake job advertisements on social media and classified advertisement forums, including advertisements for webcam modeling, hospitality, mining, and domestic work. Some fake advertisements, particularly for domestic work, specifically request Zimbabwean or Malawian applicants.

Some farmers rely on “bakkie brokers” to rapidly expand their personnel during harvest season, bringing foreign migrants to work on farms; these brokers are unregulated and charge workers recruitment fees. Traffickers exploit young men from neighboring countries who migrate to South Africa for farm work; some are subsequently arrested and deported as undocumented immigrants. Despite high unemployment, migrants travel from East, Central, and Southern Africa to South Africa looking for economic opportunity, particularly from Ethiopia and Mozambique, and are vulnerable to exploitation. The lack of valid documentation for refugees and asylum-seekers, due to a protracted process, limited asylum-seekers’ ability to access protection and services, leaving them vulnerable to trafficking.

Official complicity in trafficking crimes, especially by police and immigration officials, facilitated the operation of traffickers and organized syndicates engaging in trafficking. Syndicates, predominantly operated by Nigerians, force women from Nigeria and countries bordering South Africa into commercial sex, primarily in brothels and other commercial-front establishments. South African organized trafficking syndicates exploit girls as young as 10 in sex trafficking. Some well-known brothels, previously identified as sex trafficking locations, continue to operate with officials’ tacit approval.

In some cases, traffickers exploit women in brothels disguised as guesthouses. Syndicates also recruit South African women to Europe, where traffickers force some into sex trafficking, domestic service, or drug smuggling. Mozambican crime syndicates use the eastern border of Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, enabled by corrupt officials, to transport migrants to other parts of the country for forced labor, through the same routes used by syndicates to facilitate other crimes. Syndicates also exploit miners, both South African and foreign migrants, sometimes known as zama zamas , in illegal gold, diamond, and coal mining; miners are exposed to dangerous conditions and sometimes killed by gangs vying for control of mines.

An international organization reported that undocumented children are one of the most vulnerable populations in South Africa for exploitation, including for forced criminality. Children are vulnerable to forced criminality by criminal organizations, particularly drug trafficking. Boys from Eswatini and Lesotho are trafficked for forced labor in illegal mining. Children are exploited in sex trafficking, particularly in Gauteng and Western Cape, including in massage parlors.

Some families living in poverty exploit their daughters in sex trafficking in exchange for money and goods. Some families rent out their children to begging syndicates in Durban. Traffickers operating in South Africa are mostly from Nigeria and South Africa; however, there were reports of traffickers from Bangladesh, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Undocumented children, including child trafficking victims from Mozambique, the DRC, and Zimbabwe, are unable to access education and government services, which increases their vulnerability to trafficking.

Recruiters entice women from the Middle East, Asia, and countries bordering South Africa with offers of legitimate employment but, upon arrival, some subject the women to sex trafficking, and forced labor in the service sector or domestic servitude. Foreign trafficking victims are increasingly recruited via social media with promises of employment in South Africa. Traffickers exploit Basotho women in sex trafficking and domestic servitude and men in labor trafficking, particularly in the mining and textile sectors, in South Africa. Traffickers exploit foreign male victims aboard fishing vessels in South Africa’s territorial waters.

Asian workers may travel to South Africa via commercial flights to disembark on fishing vessels where they are exploited. Traffickers subject Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to forced labor through debt-based coercion in businesses owned by their co-nationals. Owners of privately-owned PRC businesses exploit PRC nationals, South African, and Malawian adults and children in factories, sweatshops, and other businesses. There were 432 Cuban government-affiliated medical workers in South Africa at the end of 2022.

Authorities continued to partner with the Government of Cuba to hire medical professionals to provide services in all provinces. South African officials indicated workers were in control of their passports and credentials and reported contracting and paying workers directly. However, it was unclear if Cuban workers controlled their own bank accounts, and there was no information on the contracts the workers signed with the Cuban government. In 2022, a credible international NGO published a global report on the Cuban labor export program, in which 18 former workers provided testimony on the conditions faced in South Africa.

According to the report, 45 percent were under surveillance, 48 percent were subjected to movement restrictions, 80 percent reported exploitation, 72 percent reported threats and violence, and 50 percent reported being forced to enroll in the program by Cuban authorities. On This Page search > < SOUTH AFRICA (Tier 2) PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: PROSECUTION PROTECTION PREVENTION TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Tags Bureau of African Affairs Human Trafficking Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Reports South Africa