South African influencers who ran a glitzy social media campaign to “empower” local young women to work abroad are eating humble pie after it emerged recruits risked being trafficked and were forced to assemble kamikaze drones in Russia.
The campaign became a hot potato after DJ and social media influencer Cyan Boujee, real name Honour Zuma, shared a promotional video on X about the Alabuga Start programme based in a special economic zone in Tatarstan where companies are exempted from paying property, land and transport taxes and income tax is pegged at 2%.
Zuma is one of several prominent influencers — she travelled to Russia for the campaign — facing a public backlash after the department of international relations & co-operation (Dirco) issued an alert about jobs promoted on social media, citing the dangers of human trafficking and slave-like conditions abroad. TikTok this week permanently banned her account.
International media reports have raised serious concerns about exploitation in Tatarstan.
Dirco confirmed that the programme was under investigation in South Africa. The warning follows the rescue of 23 South Africans from Myanmar earlier in 2025. They were forced to work in an online scam factory.
Sima Mangolwane, popularly known as Seemah, recently hit 2.8-million followers but TikTok also banned her account — her source of income — for promoting the programme. “Losing my TikTok account wasn’t just losing a platform; it was losing a voice and a community that I had built over years,” she said.
“I am sorry for my role in this. I have no words. Even after what I thought was due diligence, working with a good agency, receiving credible reviews and going to the place before I post, this still happened. Genuine apologies to those I hurt. I also apologise to the brands I'm working with and have been affected by my association. You, as well as the audience that supports the work I share, don’t deserve this.”
Alabuga promises recruits paid-for flights, comfortable accommodation, monthly allowances of R9,500 to R12,000 and skills training in fields such as catering and hospitality. Applicants must be between 18 and 22 years old.
SWAY Digital Marketing founder Siyabonga “Siya” Mhlungu, who enrolled 12 influencers in the programme, is also under fire.
“This is the first time I can say I know what it feels like to be dragged,” he said in a recording of Podcast and Chill.
“We understand and know the influencers were working under our different agencies and we are saying that all the accusations made against them are not factual. I am not working directly with Tatarstan ... I am working with the agency in Dubai that gave us the job. Every other agency to my knowledge speaks directly to the Russians.
“I am taking the most accountability I can. I can’t speak for the Russian people ... it would be detrimental to without the actual facts. If human trafficking is a thing, I will admit [it] is hectic and we should have done due diligence and found this. But with the due diligence we did, we did not find any of that.”
Reality TV star and influencer Munaka Muthambi, who travelled to Russia with Boujee, said the trip did not raise red flags. She got involved via SWAY Digital. “Travel and anything to do with education, women or empowering people are my passions. So when the opportunity came to go to Russia I was open to it. I didn’t get paid a fraction of what I charge,” she said.
TV personality Lerai Rakoditsoe said: “Siya is reputable and this is the first time I’ve seen him being associated with anything like this.”
The Russian embassy in South Africa said the human trafficking and exploitation allegations aired were based on unfounded allegations. “The embassy has no information, apart from that spread through some biased outlets, of foreign nationals being subjected to forced labour, tricked into some actions or otherwise expecting violation of their rights in the course of the programme,” it said.
Peachy Sprinkles, whose real name is Siyamthanda Anita, and Zillewizzy (real name Khathutshelo Madanone) are also taking flak over the campaign. TikTok banned their accounts too.
The furore shed light on how young people disillusioned by joblessness can be vulnerable to potentially dangerous recruitment tactics disguised as opportunity. It called into question the accountability of influencers with big audiences operating without oversight.
Cue in Ofentse Baloyi, known as Primo, who opted not to take part in the campaign: “What does employment have to do with comedy? I don’t advertise job opportunities, so it was a half-no in terms of alignment. I could see it was a PR disaster ready to happen. They had a tight age category. I was offered $700 for this.”
Bloomberg has been at the centre of reporting about the programme. The Associated Press flagged “exploitation” of young African women; the Wall Street Journal investigated and reported on the programme’s activities, including the assembly of military drones; the Washington Post covered its expansion and the involvement of African governments; Vanguard Media in Nigeria published an article titled “Civil society leaders condemn Russia’s Alabuga Start Program as exploitive” in December 2024.
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