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Modern slavery is real, young people urged to verify shady online job offers

todayJune 15, 2023 234

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The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has cautioned young job seekers against fraudsters who may be looking to traffick them online.

The appeal follows several reports of South Africans falling victim to job scams overseas.

In most of these cases, the said young people are usually applying for jobs to teach English in Asian countries.

DIRCO’s spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, says a young woman from Limpopo recently fell victim to a job scam to teach English in Thailand.

He’s urged job seekers to verify any job offers they may receive, saying modern slavery remains a real threat to innocent youth.


The Department has announced the release of the DIRCO Travel Smart APP that can assist young people when applying for jobs abroad.

The software allows users to verify a particular job or agency in order to prevent falling victim to human traffickers.


The country’s National Human Trafficking Hotline says it received 2 146 calls in 2021, with 83 reported cases of human trafficking that same year.

Interpol has meanwhile warned of what it’s described as a “global human trafficking crisis,” with more and more young people across the globe being enslaved by these online job scams.

The warnings come days after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) cautioned young South Africans against job scams.

This as millions of young locals struggle under the weight of the country’s staggering unemployment rate.

According to Statistics South Africa, in the first quarter of 2023 youth unemployment in the country stood at 46.5%. 

Written by: Naomi Kobbie

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