REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

This research paper examines the state of human trafficking research in South Africa as of 2006, arguing that existing data is rudimentary, methodologically weak, and overly focused on sexual exploitation. It calls for more sophisticated, dispassionate research and the adoption of innovative methodologies to inform the development of specialized anti-trafficking legislation.

• South Africa lacks official statistics on human trafficking, and existing research is limited in geographical scope and sample size. Most available data is derived from a small number of studies by Molo Songololo and the IOM, which focus almost exclusively on the sexual exploitation of women and children.
• There is a critical lack of research regarding trafficking for labour exploitation or the harvesting of organs and body parts in South Africa. While some domestic labour research suggests possible trafficking, no dedicated studies exist for these purposes.
• South Africa serves as a destination, transit, and origin country for trafficking. Data indicates a generally uni-directional flow of people from other Southern African countries into South Africa, though some nationals are trafficked through South Africa to Europe and Southeast Asia.
• Trafficking in South Africa involves diverse patterns, including the recruitment of female relatives by refugee men, the abduction of street children in Maseru by South African men, and the trafficking of Chinese women to work in specific Chinese-clientele businesses.
• The author argues that the international and domestic discourse on trafficking often erroneously portrays victims as powerless, ignoring the agency of migrants who may make proactive choices to migrate for economic reasons despite the risks of exploitation.
• International data suggests that trafficking is not limited to the sex industry; a study by the ILO found that over half of trafficked persons were involved in economic exploitation or mixed activities, with significant numbers of men and boys affected.
• The author identifies several 'innovative methodologies' that could improve South African research, including 'capture-recapture' (CR) techniques for estimating hidden populations, telephone mapping of the sex sector, and longitudinal ethnographic research.
• The paper warns that overly broad or vague definitions of trafficking can make legislation difficult to police and may lead to the conflation of trafficking with child abuse, prostitution, or general exploitative labour practices.

APA

PHAROAH, R. (2006). REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/FULLMONO123.PDF

Chicago

PHAROAH, ROBYN. REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA. Institute for Security Studies, 2006. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/FULLMONO123.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=PHAROAH |first1=ROBYN |title=REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=June 2006 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/FULLMONO123.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pharoah2006reflections, author = {PHAROAH, ROBYN}, title = {{REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2006}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/FULLMONO123.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }