Two SA girls return home after alleged trafficking ordeal in Malawi
Two South African girls, aged nine and 15, have been repatriated from Malawi after allegedly being trafficked across the border and subjected to confinement and mistreatment.
The girls arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday, 3 September, where they were received by Social Development Minister Dina Pule. They were identified as victims of human trafficking following an investigation involving South African and Malawian authorities.
The case was referred to the Department of Social Development by Interpol South Africa, while the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in the Eastern Cape is handling the criminal investigation.
According to information provided to authorities, the alleged trafficking involved a Malawian man living in the Eastern Cape and a South African woman originally from the province. The man allegedly gained the family’s trust through a relationship with the girls’ mother and later sought control of the family’s finances, including the grandmother’s pension.
The family was allegedly persuaded to sell their home before being promised a better life in Malawi. They travelled to Blantyre on 11 October 2024.
Authorities say their passports were allegedly taken when they arrived and the family was confined to a house. They were allegedly deprived of adequate food, prevented from leaving and moved between different locations in Malawi. The girls also remained out of school during the ordeal.
In January 2026, the alleged traffickers reportedly arranged bus tickets for the adults. The mother and grandmother returned to South Africa, while the two girls were left behind in Malawi.
The mother, reported the matter to the South African Police Service in East London on 2 March 2026.
Malawian authorities rescued the girls on 9 July and placed them in a place of safety. Officials from Interpol South Africa and the Department of Social Development travelled to Malawi on 30 August to facilitate their safe return.
No arrests have been made. Police say efforts to locate and apprehend those responsible are continuing.
Pule said the case should not be treated simply as a missing-persons matter, saying the circumstances point to trafficking and exploitation.
The Department of Social Development said the girls will receive psychosocial support and other services as they are reunited with their family. It said 22 children have now been repatriated through its efforts to protect South African children who have been trafficked or left distressed abroad.
