A new report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) reveals that human trafficking in Cape Town has expanded from the Central Business District (CBD) into suburban areas.This shift is attributed to alliances between local gangs, transnational syndicates, and complicit landlords.

The GI-TOC June 2026 Western Cape Gang Monitor highlights how trafficking operations have moved into residential neighborhoods like Rugby, Brooklyn, Tijgerhof, Lansdowne, and Wynberg.The criminal enterprise involves complex exploitation, forced drug dependency, and conditions akin to modern-day slavery.

The pandemic's lockdowns in 2020 disrupted traditional drug operations, prompting gangs like the 28s and Sexy Boys to partner with Nigerian networks.These syndicates exploit financially vulnerable women through debt bondage and chemical coercion, using properties owned by landlords tied to gangs.Law enforcement raids have rescued victims, but critics argue current strategies fail to address the systemic infrastructure.The report calls for targeting landlords' real estate portfolios to dismantle the network effectively.