A 22-year-old woman from Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, has been reunited with her family after enduring a terrifying experience believed to be linked to human trafficking in Southeast Asia.
Her journey began with hopes of finding work in Phuket, Thailand. But not long after her arrival, she was moved to Cambodia under false pretenses. Her passport was taken, and she found herself trapped in conditions far from what she had been promised.
Her mother, 52, described the emotional devastation of receiving a panicked call nearly a month after her daughter had left. “She told me she was scared and that the job wasn’t what she was told. My heart broke. I didn’t know where to start looking for help,” she said.
The stress of the situation caused her to lose her job and left her unable to eat or sleep. “I kept asking myself — is she okay, is she eating, is she safe? Then one day she called and said, ‘Mommy, I’m okay — but I want to come home.’ That was the first moment I could breathe again.”
Help came through a local councillor, who confirmed a rescue mission had been set in motion. The young woman had managed to escape to a safe location, where she was supported until officials secured her emergency travel documents. She was flown back through multiple stops — Cambodia, Phuket, and Dubai — before finally landing in Cape Town.
The rescue effort was coordinated with the support of anti-trafficking advocates and diplomatic channels. The councillor involved stayed in daily contact with her throughout the ordeal. “She hadn’t eaten, had no money, and was frightened,” he said. “We had to keep her believing help was on the way — and we delivered on that promise.”
Experts warn that her case is part of a growing trend where vulnerable South Africans are lured abroad with false job offers. One anti-trafficking advocate stressed the need for greater public awareness and more government involvement. “Human trafficking is still treated like a taboo subject in this country,” she said. “There’s a lack of urgency and political will. Many victims remain forgotten — and families are left to fend for themselves.”
She added that more than 1,500 South Africans are currently in foreign prisons, many of them deceived by similar schemes. “People are being tricked into trafficking rings disguised as job opportunities. If it sounds too good to be true — it probably is.”
She urged job-seekers to be cautious and to verify all opportunities through trusted sources. Warning signs include the absence of landline contact numbers, use of generic email addresses, and promises of unusually high salaries.
The young woman, still processing the trauma, has asked for privacy as she spends time with her family. “I’m just focusing on healing and being with my loved ones,” she said quietly.