Human trafficking victims have less than 1% chance of rescue – MISA TV puts a spotlight on human trafficking
Human trafficking remains one of the most devastating crimes against children, robbing them of safety, dignity, and hope.
As part of Child Protection Week, MISA TV aired its latest episode featuring activist Octavia Ephraim from A21, a non-profit organisation aiming to abolish human trafficking around the world. Octavia’s personal journey into advocacy was shaped by tragedy. Years ago, her 13 year old sister was trafficked from Mpumalanga to Durban, forced into sex work and trapped in addiction.
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, launched the YouTube Channel with weekly episodes to educate its more than 79 000 members last week.
Octavia’s testimony underscores the brutal reality: “When people are trafficked and they are not documented, it is hard to trace them. People can be trafficked internally from Gauteng to Western Cape or across borders. Once trafficked, victims have less than a 1% chance of being found.”
She warns that trafficker’s prey on vulnerable families, promising jobs but delivering sexual slavery, while threatening victims’ families with violence to maintain control.
Her work with A21 focuses on prevention, education and rehabilitation. A21 trains activists, raises awareness, and helps survivors heal, regain skills and rebuild their dignity. Octavia cautions that traffickers exploit instability at home, lure children online and use drugs to enslave victims. Children are trafficked for multiple forms of exploitation, including child labour, domestic servitude, body harvesting and sexual exploitation.
Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, emphasized the urgency of collective action. “Human trafficking is a hidden crime that destroys families and communities. Protecting children must be a national priority. We need stronger accountability, vigilant parents and a cultural shift that rejects violence and exploitation in all its forms.”
This episode of MISA TV highlights that trafficking is not a distant issue, it is happening within South Africa’s borders, targeting the most vulnerable. By amplifying voices like Octavia’s, MISA TV calls on society to confront this crisis with compassion, vigilance and decisive action.
Child Protection Week is a reminder that every child deserves safety. MISA TV urges communities, parents and leaders to unite against trafficking, ensuring that no child is lost to exploitation.
Issued by Sonja Carstens, Manager of MISA’s Media & Communication Department, on behalf of the Union.
For press enquiries, contact Phakamile Hlubi Majola at 083 367 6417 or email [email protected].
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