Alabuga START: A Story About Desperation, Negligence, and the Power of Digital Literacy

Picture this. You are 22 years old, unemployed, and scrolling on your phone when you see a shiny opportunity. A programme promising jobs, international exposure, and a fresh start. You think, “This is it, my chance.” You pack your bags, tell your parents you are leaving, and before you know it, you are on a bus headed to what feels like a better life.

Then the headlines break. The program is not what it seemed. The promises turn into suspicion, and suddenly people are asking, how did we not see this coming?

Now the finger pointing begins. Is it the kids who are to blame, because at that age they should be able to do their own research and ask questions? Is it the parents, who should never have let their daughters walk into something so unclear? Is it the government, for failing to create systems that flag these mass movements and protect our youth? Or maybe it is the influencers, the ones who promoted these programs without checking if they were safe, who cared more about clicks than consequences?

The truth is, it is all of the above. Everyone played a part, and everyone failed in some way.

But the biggest failure is not just the program itself, it is our lack of digital literacy. Because digital literacy is not just about knowing how to use apps or post content online. It is about knowing how to research an opportunity, verify who is behind it, check credibility, and ask the hard questions before saying yes.

If our young people had stronger digital literacy, they would have paused before boarding that bus. If parents understood the importance of digital footprints and personal branding, they would have guided their children differently. If influencers had invested in educating themselves, they would not have put their audiences at risk. And if the government had prioritized digital literacy as much as traditional schooling, our youth would not be so vulnerable.

We cannot ignore the context either. South Africa is sitting with a crushing youth unemployment rate. Desperation is real. When you are hungry, when you cannot find work, when the system feels like it has forgotten you, anything that looks like a lifeline feels worth the risk. That desperation is exactly what predators prey on.

So what is the lesson? Until we treat digital literacy as survival, we will keep reading stories like Alabuga. Our youth will keep finding themselves in traps that could have been avoided. And our society will keep failing them.

The internet is full of opportunity, but it is also full of danger. If you cannot read between the lines, you are always at risk of being exploited

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