Govt confirms Russia jobs on social media not state-facilitated

This comes after the controversial Alabuga Start programme was promoted by local influencers, including social media star and DJ Cyan Boujee. 

With over 900,000 Instagram followers, Cyan Boujee, whose real name is Honor Zuma, traveled to Russia in July for a paid campaign and shared a video highlighting aspects of Alabuga’s operations.

The posts, which targeted women aged 18 to 22, sparked public backlash and were later deleted. 

Other South African influencers, including Peachy Sprinkles Ghost Hlubi (Khanya Hlubi), Zillewizzy (Khathutshelo Netshitomboni), (Siyamthanda Anita), and  Seemah (Sima Mangolwane),also promoted the programme before  later removing their content due to the backlash.

In a statement released on Monday, the ministry reiterated that all legitimate international work opportunities must be processed through government-to-government agreements.

"Although we recognise that South Africa faces unacceptably high youth unemployment, especially among young women, this harsh reality must never be exploited through false job offers.

" We can confirm that the so-called work opportunities advertised on social media for positions in Russia are not facilitated with any government intervention. 

"Young people are therefore urged to exercise extreme caution when engaging with unsolicited offers for international employment, particularly those distributed via social media and other online platforms,” the ministry said.

It advised young people to verify any international work or study opportunities through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, relevant foreign embassies, the Department of Employment and Labour, the South African Police Service, or the Department of Higher Education and Training.

"The safety, dignity, and future of young South African women are of paramount importance, and we cannot allow desperation borne of high unemployment to be weaponised against our youth,” the department added. 

" As a government, we continue to work tirelessly to address youth unemployment through national initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the National Youth Service, and various skills development programmes."

The ministry added that the government cannot tackle unemployment alone and called on the private sector, civil society, labour, academia, and communities to help create sustainable pathways for decent work”,  particularly for young women, who are the most vulnerable to exploitation.

To provide clarity to the public, the department said it will engage with DIRCO, the Russian Embassy in South Africa, and the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance.

"Let us remain united in protecting the dreams and dignity of South Africa’s young women, while redoubling our efforts to build an inclusive economy that provides meaningful opportunities at home,” the ministry said.

DIRCO has also issued a separate warning, with Deputy Director-General for Public Diplomacy Clayson Monyela cautioning young South Africans against online job scams.

"Please warn young people, girls in particular, not to fall for unverified foreign job offers. Some are being promoted by influencers on TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms. 

"Human trafficking syndicates are luring people into all sorts of illegal activities under slave-like conditions. If something looks too good to be true, get a second opinion. Contact DIRCO or any of our embassies in the country of interest,” he said.