Cape Town – Dozens of South Africans have been left stranded in Myanmar after falling victim to a fake job recruitment scam that turned into a human trafficking nightmare.
According to reports, the victims were promised lucrative employment opportunities in Thailand, only to be trafficked across the border into Myanmar, where they were forced to work in cyber-fraud compounds.
Many of the victims are reportedly young people aged between 18 and 35, who were offered positions in hospitality, marketing, and teaching with salaries of up to R15 000 per month.
The victims’ passports were confiscated upon arrival, and they were held under armed guard, forced to work long hours in online scam operations. The department further confirmed that it has been in contact with Myanmar authorities to assist in the safe return of the stranded South Africans.
A non-profit organisation called Brave to Love is helping families locate their loved ones and working with officials to facilitate repatriation.
The NGO’s director, Byron Mann, speaking with Newzroom Afrika said, “So, what we need to understand is that this syndicate is actually, they’re very professional with what they do online specifically. So, they actually go and research the, if you want to call it, the target that they are often in an individual.”
[WATCH] A group of South Africans have reportedly reached out for assistance to NGO Brave to Love after being trafficked to Southeast Asia. They were promised employment but ended up in conflict-affected Myanmar and held captive. Brave to Love’s Byron Mann explains.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/rTkkJYkEIM
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 27, 2025
“So, then they’re going to find out what it is that they would be most vulnerable to. For example, we’ve had some of the, there was two young boys that were run across to go and play football that side. The others are to be English teachers or online marketers. It depends on what they believe that the person would actually be most vulnerable to.”
“So, what we’ve managed to find out from the people who have managed to get home, yeah, they get across to Thailand and then from Thailand they actually are transported. That trip takes anywhere between six to eight hours until they get to the river.”
“And once they cross over into Myanmar, over the river, that’s when they are bundled into the compound. And these scamming compounds are there specifically just to make money. So, there’s no luxury or comforts and so on within the compound. Yeah, the guys are staying in dormitories, on bunk beds.”
🇿🇦🇲🇲 South African Ambassador Darkey Africa meets Myanmar’s Honorary Consul to combat trafficking horrors: 40 SA victims escape KK Park’s inhuman conditions, await repatriation via NGOs. Urgent call for rights protection amid regional risks.
📷South African Embassy in Bangkok… pic.twitter.com/s8PNNIpmYX— Diplomacy South Africa (@diplomacy_sa) October 30, 2025
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation, reiterated its commitment and called on all South Africans abroad to remain vigilant, the trafficking network that targeted the victims forms part of a broader criminal enterprise operating across Southeast Asia, using false job adverts to lure vulnerable individuals into forced labour and online scam operations.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
