"They’ll Do Anything for Money": Man Calls Out SA Influencers Over Controversial Russian Program

• South African influencers are facing backlash for promoting a Russian programme that allegedly deceived young African women into assembling drones for Ukraine
• The programme, Alabuga Start programme, has been criticised for labour rights abuses, including long hours, poor pay, and health and safety issues, which led a young man in South Africa to call for sanctions on the content creators
• The controversy sparks debate around ethics in influencer marketing, with some calling for accountability and others defending the influencers' actions

A man in Mzansi has sparked a heated debate online after calling out local influencers for promoting a controversial Russian programme.

The Alabuga Start programme has faced criticism for allegedly deceiving young Africans. With assistance from content creators, young women in Africa were enticed to join Tatarstan, Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone.

About 200 African women between the ages of 18 and 22 were recruited through social media to work in a Russian facility that assembles drones for Ukraine, according to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Read also

Deputy Minister of Women Steve Letsike takes action against influencers promoting Russian agency

It wasn't until they arrived that the women realised they would be producing weapons. Long hours, surveillance, poorer pay, trouble leaving, media limitations, and health and safety issues were among the alleged labour rights abuses they endured.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the South African government is presently investigating the activities and motives of Russian companies, Business Tech stated.

Man urges sanctions against South African influencers

Taking to his TikTok account under the handle @bigbrothertshego, the outspoken critic did not hold back as he mentioned well-known figures such as Cyan Boujee and Seemah, accusing them of putting financial gain above the well-being of the public.

In the viral video, @bigbrothertshego began by saying:

“Do you see Cyan Boujee, do you see Seemah? Very dangerous. They can do anything for money. As long as they are being paid to promote something, they will do it,” he alleged.

Read also

South African government cautions youth after Cyan Boujee's Russian programme advert

@bigbrothertshego went on to stress that, in his view, some South African influencers were reckless in their endorsement choices, claiming that they did not consider how promotions might affect the youth.

“Whether it’s putting young people’s lives at risk, they will do it,” he added.

He further called for accountability, referencing how the public previously confronted musician Scotts Maphuma over his behaviour.

“The same way y’all dealt with Scotts Maphuma for having an attitude, let’s deal with Seemah, let’s deal with Cyan Boujee and all those other influencers that promoted this thing of Russia. It needs to be dealt with. We cannot trust these influencers at all," @bigbrothertshego expressed.

The TikTok user @bigbrothertshego's video has ignited mixed reactions across social media since it was published on 25 August 2025, with some agreeing that accountability is overdue, while others defended the influencers, saying they did not know any better. The debate has reignited broader conversations around ethics in influencer marketing in South Africa.

Read also

Anele calls school allegedly recruiting SA girls in Russia, Mzansi angered by what they find out

Mzansi weighs in on the Russian program

The online community took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the Russian program and more by saying:

Biskado said:

"They honestly didn't know."

Ntosh added:

"Cyan is busy living her life unbothered. She didn’t even try to apologise at all."

Narc expressed:

"Not to say the influencers weren't wrong, but I guess it was also a responsibility of the victims to do their own diligent research."

Ginger shared:

"Yes, they are wrong, but those youths have a brain of their own to research....we all want money, but as a human being u must think 1st b4 falling for traps. That life they were promoting seems too good to be true."

Tsitsigumbo770 commented:

"That’s true, I feel like they knew everything."

Watch the video below:

3 More stories of the Russian program

• Briefly News reported influencer Cyan Boujee is under investigation over a Russian program promotion for young South African women.
• South Africans are outraged over influencers' involvement in a Russian scheme aimed at young women, as they called them out.
• The high rate of unemployment in South Africa has become a large contributing factor in the luring of nearly 200 people to Asia.

Source: Briefly News