Investigation Launched into Russia’s Recruitment of South African Women

Russian companies are intensifying their recruitment of young African women to combat a labor shortage, raising concerns that many may be drawn into the Ukraine conflict.

The latest initiative is occurring in South Africa, which is part of the Brics group of major emerging economies. One of the main recruiters, Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, specializes in military drone manufacturing. South Africa’s government is currently investigating the activities and motives of Russian firms, according to a knowledgeable source.

This campaign involves organizations leveraging Brics branding. The local chapter of the Brics Women’s Business Alliance signed an agreement in May to supply Alabuga and construction company Etalonstroi Ural with a total of 5,600 workers over the coming year.

This followed the Brics Student Commission in South Africa posting job advertisements in January for construction and hospitality roles at Alabuga, targeting women aged 18 to 22. Influencers from South Africa on Instagram and TikTok have also started promoting these job opportunities.

“Russia has an urgent need for labor,” stated Lebogang Zulu, chair of the women’s alliance, who finalized the agreement during a visit to Russia earlier this year, as reported by Bloomberg. “South Africa is facing a serious unemployment crisis.”

With an aging population and many men conscripted to the Ukraine front lines, Russia is contending with a labor shortage. In contrast, nearly one-third of the workforce in South Africa is unemployed. However, despite the apparent economic rationale, the recruitment efforts are facing increasing scrutiny.

The Alabuga zone has faced criticism from three research reports, including one from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), suggesting that African women are being misled into jobs assembling Shahed 136 kamikaze drones. According to ISIS, women are viewed as more suitable for such tasks than men.

Authorities in Pretoria may summon Russian diplomats for questioning, as noted by the informed source, who requested anonymity due to the lack of an official statement.

“The South African government is actively investigating reports of foreign programs recruiting South Africans under misleading pretenses,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation stated in response to inquiries. “The South African government has yet to find credible evidence that job offers in Russia deviate from their stated purposes. Nonetheless, the government is aware of the alleged recruitment of youth by Alabuga.”

Inquiries directed at Alabuga Start, the recruitment arm of the zone, and Etalonstroi Ural went unanswered. At a recent event in Botswana, a representative from Alabuga denied claims that African workers were employed in drone facilities. The Student Commission and the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance also refuted assertions that workers recruited through their channels would be sent to the drone assembly site.

“There is limited concrete evidence of individuals who have suffered there,” stated Thembehlile Mpungose, secretary general of the commission, in an interview. “We are poor and need opportunities. We are not sending people there to build drones.”

Indeed, many are looking for opportunities in Russia, especially as over 48% of women under 34 in South Africa are unemployed. Alabuga advertises salaries as high as $800, which, while not substantial by South African standards, still represents a job opportunity—albeit lower than the regional average in Tatarstan.

In April, representatives from the student commission and Alabuga Start visited Beyers Naude Secondary School in Soweto, Johannesburg, twice to promote the work program, according to student reports.

During their visit, students told Bloomberg they received Alabuga-branded T-shirts and pens, were promised employment and free flights, and were informed they could eventually acquire apartments through work at the zone. They were encouraged to sign up through a recruitment tool on WhatsApp.

Alabuga Start’s website mentions no jobs at the drone factory. However, research by ISIS and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime revealed that most women who enlisted ended up in the drone assembly process without prior knowledge.

In 2024, the Associated Press reported that African women were working in the plant against their will. The drone facility and the Alabuga economic zone have been targeted by Ukrainian bombings multiple times, including as recently as August 9.

“We estimate that about 90% of the women who go to Alabuga end up in the drone program,” said Spencer Faragasso, a senior research fellow at ISIS. “They’re involved in weapon production and may be exposed to combat situations.”

Alabuga is currently developing housing units to accommodate an additional 41,000 workers, indicating plans to ramp up drone production, according to an ISIS report from July 28.

Chris Maphanga, a board member of the Brics Women’s Business Alliance, asserted that the organization does not facilitate recruitment into hazardous work environments. He explained that the alliance aims to assist Russia in addressing a shortfall of 4.8 million workers while also engaging with other companies, such as shoemaker Orthomoda.

The alliance claims to operate “under the mandate” of South Africa’s Women’s Ministry. Zulu, who describes herself as a South African princess, was accompanied by unnamed South African parliamentarians on her trip to Russia, according to the alliance’s website.

The Women’s Ministry issued a statement clarifying that it is not formally associated with the Brics Women’s Business Alliance but acknowledges the organization’s existence. It is unaware of the Russian recruitment initiative. Requests for comments from the foreign, education, and labor ministries went unanswered.

To date, Alabuga has primarily targeted recruitment from poorer African nations like Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. In its first operational year in 2023, it hired just 22 workers through the program, with a goal of over 8,000 by 2025, as stated on its website. In the first half of 2024, it reported that out of 182 recruits, only six were from South Africa.

Russian firms and institutions have also sought recruits in other southern African nations.

In April, Alabuga Start hosted an event at the University of Botswana in Gaborone. During this event, representatives denied that applicants would work in drone facilities when questioned by the parents of potential candidates. They framed the initiative as a way to empower young women, explaining the exclusion of men.

In Lesotho, an enclave within South Africa, Mahali Phamotse, an opposition party leader and former education minister, has been recruiting young individuals for educational and job opportunities in Russia.

This recruitment push prompted the government to issue a warning to parents about the safety of sending their children abroad. Phamotse did not reveal which Russian institutions she is collaborating with when contacted by Bloomberg. Recent reports indicated that some of those recruited departed for Russia on August 20, according to the local media outlet Meloli Airwaves.

“Many of these women come from vulnerable backgrounds with limited opportunities for education, work, and independence,” said Faragasso from ISIS. “Once they arrive at Alabuga, they face a harsh reality regarding the promises made to them and the actual work they are expected to perform.”

© 2025 Bloomberg

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