The South African government is warning young women not to fall for social media recruitment drives promoting job opportunities abroad.
This comes as a number of online videos by South African social media influencers advertising jobs for young women in Russia have gone viral.
The authorities are investigating one promotional video by influencer Cyan Boujee, which has now been removed from her account. She describes a two-year “start programme” for young women at the beginning of their careers who want to acquire professional skills.
A large number of young South Africans are jobless and many are desperate for work.
In Boujee’s video – shot in Tatarstan in Russia – viewers are shown the accommodation that recruits will be staying in.
The influencer, whose real name is Honour Zuma, describes the programme as a “fresh new start” adding that “apparently girls are treated fairly here – Africans, Asians, Latin Americans”.
Boujee, who has 1.7 million TikTok followers, also explains that those hired will be given jobs and taught how to speak Russian.
It is not clear what professions the young women will work in, but the programme advertised targets women aged 18 to 22.
There is no suggestion that Boujee has done anything illegal and she has not responded directly to the criticism that she faced over the weekend. One of her most recent Instagram posts shows her on a plane, drinking champagne, and says: “Legs stretched, champagne poured, drama ignored.”
The South African government is “extremely worried” about the trend of influencers being used to promote jobs abroad, according to the country’s head of public diplomacy Clayson Monyela.
In an X post, he warned young people, especially girls, “not to fall for unverified foreign job offers”, some being promoted on social media.
“If something looks too good to be true, get a 2nd opinion,” he wrote.
There have been allegations that some of those recruited to work in Tatarstan have ended up working in a weapons factory, making drones that have been used in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
One of the main recruiters is a special economic zone in Tatarstan, which is where these weapons are believed to be produced.
A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime released in May looked into the recruitment of people for the “start” programme.
It said that “potential recruits are enticed to participate under false pretences regarding the nature of the work, the working conditions and opportunities for education”, adding that the objective is to support the “drone production programme”.
Most work “directly in drone production, while others work as support staff – cleaners and caterers”.