Lack documentation is one of the major factors shaping risk and vulnerability among migrant children.
When six-year-old Joshlin Smith disappeared from Saldanha Bay in February 2024, the case horrified South Africans and reignited fears around child trafficking, exploitation and the vulnerability of children living in poverty.
More than a year later, Joshlin has still not been found, with the investigation still open and active, despite the sentencing of three accused in May 2024. Detectives continue to follow up on all information, with extensive efforts undertaken both locally and abroad,” Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut previously said.
Joshlin disappeared on 19 February 2024. She was six years old at the time.
In 2025, her mother Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were convicted and sentenced for kidnapping and trafficking the child. Evidence presented during the trial alleged Joshlin was sold for R20,000.
