South Africa is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficked men, women, and children.

South African girls are trafficked internally for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. Women and girls from other African countries are trafficked to South Africa and, occasionally, onward to Europe for sexual exploitation.

Thai, Chinese, and Eastern European women are trafficked to South Africa for debt-bonded commercial sexual exploitation. Mozambican and Malawian boys and young men are trafficked to South Africa for agricultural labor. Small numbers of Swazi girls are trafficked to South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province for domestic servitude. Organized criminal groups and local gangs facilitate trafficking into and within South Africa, particularly for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.

The amount of attention gives this evil is far too low for the extent of the problem. It is time now, in 2008, to speak out and do something about it.The problem extends further than the borders of South Africa and needs to be brought to the attention of governments and effective legislation proposed and enacted. We cannot go on like this and something needs to be done about it!