South African influencer and DJ, Cyan Boujee, has broken her silence after facing intense criticism for promoting the controversial “Alabuga Start Programme” — an international initiative many fear could be linked to human trafficking.
Just days ago, Cyan shared a promotional video encouraging young South African women between 18 and 22 to travel to Russia for what was advertised as training, job opportunities, and a glamorous lifestyle.
The package promised free flights, accommodation, Russian language lessons, and well-paid work in a pyramid-shaped residential complex housing thousands of women from different countries.
But the internet quickly raised alarms. Critics flagged the program as suspicious, with concerns that it carried the hallmarks of trafficking schemes.
Social media users accused Cyan of misleading her followers with vague job descriptions and unsafe promises. Matters escalated when disturbing leaked videos surfaced online, allegedly showing prison-like conditions at a facility linked to the program.
In response, South Africa’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster issued a public warning, urging young women to avoid “illegitimate and/or unverified opportunities” abroad. Authorities also confirmed that a formal investigation is underway.
After days of silence, Cyan finally addressed the issue in an Instagram video posted today, where she apologized for her involvement:
“Human trafficking is a very, very, very serious matter and I do not stand with that. I believe that this is a huge learning curve for me and all the other influencers.”
She stressed that her decision to participate wasn’t financially motivated, clarifying that she had not yet been paid:
“I haven’t been paid yet. I had other videos to post — four more on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. I was only going to get paid after posting. So it wasn’t for money. I didn’t get paid.”
Cyan explained that once she saw her followers’ concerns, she immediately deleted the videos:
“Immediately when I saw the comments on my stories and on the first two videos that I posted, I knew this is not something I stand with. I knew I had to delete it immediately. I didn’t care about the money or the contract.”
She ended her apology on a hopeful note, saying:
“We are humans, we make mistakes. And I think the positivity out of this is that the girls will be helped. That is the main thing that matters at this very moment.”
In the caption of her post, Cyan added that she is still awaiting an official response from the program before issuing a more detailed follow-up statement.
