Influencer Cyan Boujee has broken her silence over the backlash of her paid promotion of a “fake” job campaign – via the Alabuga Start Programme – to young girls to live and work in Russia.
The 24-year-old – real name Honour Zuma – was one of several content creators who called on young women to take up the offer abroad.
South African government officials have since expressed concerns that the offer raised red flags about human trafficking.
CYAN BOUJEE BREAKS SILENCE ON JOB PROGRAMME CAMPAIGN
In an Instagram post, Cyan Boujee spoke out for the first time amid the backlash of the Alabuga Start Programme for young girls in Russia.
The job offer has raised concerns about human trafficking and the exploitation of young girls.
The influencer said: “I have been quiet for so long because I have been waiting for the programme to release a statement on my behalf. Human trafficking is a very serious matter, and I do not stand with that.
“I believe this is a huge learning curve for me and all the other influencers”.
Images via TikTok
“I want you guys to know that it wasn’t for money”, Cyan said while adding that she had not yet been paid for the campaign as she did not fulfill her end of the contract of posting all the videos on her social media channels.”
She continued: “I saw your comments…I knew that this was something I had to delete immediately.
“We are humans and we make mistakes…I’m very frustrated with this. I wouldn’t have involved myself with this, had I known”.
RUSSIA DENIES FOUL PLAY
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy denied allegations that the Alabuga Start Programme promoted by Cyan Boujee and others was guilty of exploiting young women.
It said in a statement: “The Embassy has taken note of the growing concerns.. Many of the commentators were quick to accuse Russia of ‘human trafficking’ and ‘exploitation’ based on unfounded allegations.
“It needs to be stressed that the Embassy has no information, apart from that spread through some biased outlets, of foreign nationals being subjected to forced labour, tricked into some actions, or otherwise experiencing violation of their rights in the course of the programme.”
The embassy directed concerns directly to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone website.
DO YOU THINK INFLUENCERS LIKE CYAN BOUJEE NEED TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
