Social Development Minister Dina Pule was set to receive them at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Gauteng. The reception forms part of South Africa’s formal repatriation process for children identified as victims of human trafficking and exploitation. Officials emphasised that the process prioritises their safe return, care, protection, and access to support services.
According to the Department of Social Development (DSD), the girls had been identified as trafficked persons after being taken across South Africa’s borders to Malawi. The department stated that this case aligns with ongoing efforts to combat child trafficking. As of early September 2026, the DSD had already repatriated 22 children in total through similar processes.
The department works closely with multiple partners under the Children’s Act. These include the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Home Affairs, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks/DPCI), the Border Management Authority (BMA), and civil society organisations. Senior government officials and relevant stakeholders were to join the minister to oversee arrangements for the children’s care and reintegration.
Media were invited to a briefing at the OR Tambo Airport Media Centre at 11:00 on 3 September 2026, but authorities specifically requested that no photographs, videos, or identifying details of the children be published without appropriate consent and safeguarding measures, in the interests of their safety, privacy, and dignity.
Public reporting on the case (from the official government media advisory and outlets such as The Citizen) provides no further details on the circumstances of the trafficking, how the girls were identified in Malawi, the duration of their time there, or the specific forms of exploitation involved. This limited disclosure is consistent with child-protection protocols.
Broader context
Human trafficking of children remains a recognised challenge in the Southern African region, involving both outbound movement of South African minors and inbound or transit trafficking linked to neighbouring countries including Malawi. South African authorities regularly highlight inter-agency coordination and border controls as part of responses. Malawi itself is frequently described in trafficking reports as a source, transit, and destination country, with documented cases of both labour and sexual exploitation involving minors, though those patterns are distinct from this specific repatriation of South African victims.
The return of these two girls underscores the practical operation of South Africa’s child-protection and repatriation mechanisms when victims are located abroad. No additional public updates on their post-arrival care or any related investigations were available in the immediate announcements surrounding the event.
