South African Men 'Scammed' Into Fighting For Russia Become Trench Diggers
European security authorities have recently been loudly warning of Russian military or intelligence recruitment scams targeting unsuspecting citizens of the EU, by offering promises of jobs or money transfers, during which time the individuals are said to be 'recruited' by Moscow. This is apparently happening on the African continent as well, with a new Reuters investigation documenting that South Africans are being lured into the Russian armed forces under false pretenses.
People are allegedly promised high-level jobs and elite training in Russia, only to find out they've unwittingly joined the Russian military, and eventually find themselves fighting in Ukraine soon after documents are hastily signed. In these cases the implication is that these South African individuals are in desperate financial straits.
Reuters details the story of South African father-of-three Dubandlela, who was initially thrilled when his 20-year-old son signed up last summer to receive specialized training as a VIP bodyguard in Russia.
The family had struggled financially, couldn't provide university tuition for their son, and when an opportunity for a fast-tracked and solid job in Russia presented itself, the young man jumped at it as a path to a lucrative career.
And then, "Five months later, Dubandlela is in despair. His son had fallen for an alleged recruitment scam in which he and at least 16 other SA men say they were conscripted by an unspecified mercenary group and sent to join Russian forces in Ukraine."
While the South African government's relations with Russia has remained generally warm and positive even throughout nearly four years of the Ukraine war, the scandal has created strain at the highest levels.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's office has recently stepped in - given that several young men - possibly dozens, have been 'scammed' into joining the Russian military. Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya issued a statement saying the Dubandlela case is "receiving the highest possible attention."
In some cases the fate of the South African citizens is unknown given the fluid and dangerous nature of a battlefield environment. "The process to retrieve those young men remains a very sensitive process,” he said. "They are facing grave, grave danger to their lives and we are still in discussions with various authorities, both in Russia as well as in Ukraine, to see how we can free them from the situation they are in."
The spokesman further sought to address the reality that many South Africans have also traveled to fight for Ukrainian forces. He suggested that this is less of an issue because it was more transparent they were either volunteering or getting paid specifically to fight on behalf of Ukraine.
"In fact, the emphasis is more with the authorities in Russia and less so with the authorities in the Ukraine, because the information that we have is that they were bungled into the Russian military forces," Magwenya told a press briefing.
While it would be hard to verify, the South African recruits are reportedly thrust into extreme conditions with lacking supplies and necessities given by the Russian military command:
On Dubandlela’s phone are photos that he said his son had sent earlier this month from what he said was a location near the front line in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas.
One shows his son in combat fatigues, awkwardly holding an AK-47 assault rifle. Another shows his son trying to sleep in his underwear on the concrete floor of a cupboard-sized basement after taking cover from Ukrainian drones. He looks so thin that his ribs are visible.
They reportedly are also given low-level positions like trench-diggers or tasked with hauling ammo or high risk logistical endeavors - all while "dodging bullets" according to the report.
"They are afraid that Russian military or Russian soldiers might kill them."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 17, 2025
Thulani Mahlangu, a representative of parents of South African mercenaries fighting for Russia, tells @SkyYaldaHakim they have no way home if they decide to leave.https://t.co/YXMcOOyMkZ pic.twitter.com/zXlvbHFbre
Western officials have warned that social media platforms are rife with these types of deceptive recruitment campaigns. For example, Telegram is one specific platform named by European authorities as being used by Russian intelligence to recruit unwitting actors.
In the case of the South African recruits, to many it might seem more obvious or common sense that any program advertising itself as a 'private security training course' inside Russia during an active war on its border would very likely signal that it is tied to the military and the need for extra manpower in Ukraine.
