​On Wednesday, 30 July 2025, the Gauteng Department of Social Development, in partnership with Awareness Action Against Child Trafficking in Africa (ACT Africa), hosted the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons awareness campaign at Lanseria International Airport.
According to the department's Central Corridor Social Worker, Yolanda Mancinca, “Today we came to the airport as airplanes are used to transport victims of human trafficking. Lanseria is a small airport, and traffickers can take advantage of that as they won’t be recognized. Also, they (traffickers) are clever because they can blend in with the crowd and remain invisible, recruiting those they know are easy targets, making it difficult to spot and even prosecute them.”

Mancinca stated, “Trafficking in Persons is a form of oppression that exploits and strips people of their dignity. Most of the women are exploited sexually, leading to forced drug use and eventually the exploitation of their body organs. Males, on the other hand, are used for labor and body parts.”

Hilary Leong from ACT Africa said, “In partnership with the department, we are here as part of the United Nations’ mandate to raise awareness at points of entry and exit, as they are also hotspots for human trafficking, which is an organized crime against humanity. We are here to break the silence against human trafficking.”

This year’s theme, “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation,” highlights a neglected crime: trafficking for forced criminality.