South Africa launches probe into Russian recruitment of young women for drone plant

South African authorities have launched a formal investigation into a Russian recruitment drive targeting young South African women, amid growing concerns that advertised job opportunities are masking forced labor in military drone production.
Promoted via social media and coordinated through the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance and Student Commission, the program promises women aged 18–22 lucrative jobs in construction and hospitality in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone. However, reports — backed by research from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) — allege that up to 90% of recruits are instead funneled into drone assembly plants used in the war against Ukraine. The recruitment, reportedly addressing Russia’s wartime labor shortage, is being pitched as a solution to South Africa’s staggering youth unemployment, with nearly half of women under 34 jobless.
Yet civil society groups and Pretoria officials warn that vulnerable youth are being exploited. “Human trafficking syndicates are luring young people into all sorts of illegal activities,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Clayson Monyela, citing “slave-like conditions” and misleading job descriptions. Despite denials from Russian authorities, Pretoria is considering summoning Russian diplomats for clarity. While no direct legal violations have been confirmed, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation emphasized that “the government is actively probing” all allegations. As Russia expands its recruitment efforts across Africa, critics warn the lines between opportunity and exploitation are dangerously blurred.