South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation after receiving reports that 17 South African citizens, aged between 20 and 39, have become trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region after joining mercenary groups involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to government spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, the men were allegedly recruited under the false promise of lucrative contracts. Sixteen of them are from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape.
Magwenya said the government is now working through diplomatic channels to secure their safe return.
“President Ramaphosa and the South African government strongly condemn the exploitation of young and vulnerable people by individuals collaborating with foreign military entities,” he said.
South Africa’s Foreign Military Assistance Act makes it illegal for citizens to serve as mercenaries or fight for a foreign government without official approval.
Analysts suggest that South Africa’s high unemployment rate, over 30% and even higher among youth, leaves many young citizens vulnerable to deceptive recruitment schemes.
The revelations come amid wider reports of Russia’s growing military influence across Africa. The Africa Corps, a Russian mercenary unit backed by Moscow’s Defence Ministry, has reportedly replaced the Wagner Group in parts of West Africa after the death of Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Earlier this year, the South African government also warned young women against online job scams offering lucrative opportunities abroad, especially in Russia. A BBC investigation uncovered that many African and South Asian women had been trafficked to Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone to work in drone factories producing weapons for the war.
In September, Kenyan authorities rescued more than 20 people from a trafficking ring that allegedly sought to send them to fight in Ukraine.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has previously faced criticism for recruiting foreign nationals, including Africans, to fight on its side. In 2022, Senegal and Nigeria formally protested after Kyiv’s embassy posts encouraged their citizens to enlist.
President Ramaphosa’s government has emphasized that it is committed to protecting South African citizens and ensuring accountability for those responsible for recruiting them into illegal military activities.