What started as a “work-and-study” opportunity in Russia has turned into one of the biggest influencer scandals of the year. The Alabuga Start programme, promoted by South African influencers like Cyan Boujee and Seemah, promised legit jobs for young African women.
But investigations later exposed the truth — many recruits were forced to assemble military drones under dangerous, exploitative conditions.
The influencers, who hyped the scheme to millions, quickly deleted their posts and issued apologies after backlash. Still, the damage was done.
On Podcast and Chill with MacG, Seemah broke down in tears over losing her 2.8 million-follower TikTok account, calling it years of hard work gone. The clip has divided opinion — as some are sympathizing with her, while others are pointing to the far worse suffering faced by the exploited women.
The scandal highlights the power and responsibility of influencers, the risks of misleading job offers, and renewed calls from government to protect youth from exploitation abroad.
