A South African court has sentenced seven Chinese nationals to 20 years in prison each for human trafficking, kidnapping and related offences after authorities uncovered an illegal sweatshop in Johannesburg that exploited Malawian migrants, including children.
The four men and three women — Kevin Tsao, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying and Zhang Zhilian — were convicted earlier this year on 158 of 160 counts. Their arrests followed a 2019 raid on a factory known as Beautiful City, where officials found 91 Malawians, 37 of them children, working in squalid conditions.
Prosecutors said workers were smuggled into South Africa in shipping containers and confined to the guarded premises. Employees were forced to work 11-hour shifts, seven days a week, without proper training or safety equipment, paid below the statutory minimum wage, and had pay deducted for time off. South African labour law generally limits the workday to nine hours and guarantees a weekly rest period of at least 36 consecutive hours, including Sunday, unless otherwise agreed.
According to local outlet News24, Tsao managed the factory while the others served as supervisors. The facility produced inner cotton for blankets using recycled materials and, authorities said, was not registered in line with labour regulations or record-keeping requirements.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentences, saying they strengthen efforts to combat trafficking. “Human trafficking has become a scourge in our country… including due to our porous borders,” spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said. The labour department, which took part in the 2019 operation, also praised the ruling and called for closer inter-agency cooperation to “root out” similar abuses.