Military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko discussed the issue.Russia has established an extensive recruitment network across South Africa, utilizing women's business organizations and political connections to channel young workers to Russian military-industrial facilities, according to recent reports examining Moscow's labor practices in Africa.At the center of these operations is the BRICS Women's Business Alliance South Africa (BRICS WBAS), which has become actively involved in the Alabuga Start recruitment program. The initiative directs young South African women to work at Russian defense plants, including facilities in Alabuga, Tatarstan, where Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drones are manufactured.The recruitment network is led by several key figures, including Lebohang Zulu, who established a major recruitment hub in KwaZulu-Natal province. Working alongside her are Raquel Lochenberg, Christopher Mafanga, and Aubrey Mathe, who oversee recruitment operations in Durban, while Eleni Malumbete manages efforts in Umhlanga.Russia has further expanded its reach through the Africa Employment Consortium (AEC), a company headquartered in Durban with recruitment operations extending beyond KwaZulu-Natal. The organization's leadership includes Mayibuye Mandela, great-grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who also serves as a public activist and member of the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party.The EFF, which holds 39 of 400 parliamentary seats with approximately 9% electoral support, has faced repeated allegations of receiving Russian funding. Party leader Julius Malema has openly advocated for stronger military cooperation with Russia and China, while promoting nuclear energy partnerships with Moscow.Additional AEC recruiters include Tsholofelo Muketsi, who works with Mandela in Gauteng province, and Olive Oliver, who manages recruitment operations in Cape Town's Western Cape province.The recruitment model mirrors tactics Russia has previously employed elsewhere, including through organizations like CODEPINK in the United States. Critics argue that these networks exploit economic vulnerabilities in African nations while presenting themselves as legitimate employment opportunities, though workers often face conditions described as exploitative upon arrival at Russian facilities.The operations highlight Moscow's strategy of using civil society organizations and political connections to advance foreign policy objectives while maintaining plausible deniability about the nature of recruitment practices.