Allais, Carol2016-06-142016-06-142013Allais, C. (2013). Human trafficking: some research challenges for South Africa. Acta Academica, 45(3), 268-290.0587-2405 (print)2415-0479 (online)http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2941English: Human trafficking has become a significant component of the illicit global economy and is internationally acknowledged to be a growing problem. While there have been various attempts to provide estimates of the scale of global trafficking, the real extent of the problem remains unknown. Despite widespread calls for more accurate estimates of the problem, statistics of any value remain elusive. There are numerous challenges involved in researching trafficking, in general, and obtaining sound estimates of human trafficking, in particular. South Africa’s response to trafficking is still in its infancy and the current law regarding trafficking in South Africa is fragmented. At present, the greatest impediment to the collection of quantitative data on trafficking (with particular reference to the number of victims in the identified trafficking streams) is the lack of a comprehensive stand-alone national law on human trafficking. Once promulgated, such a law would allow for a human-trafficking database or human-trafficking information management or reporting system which would allow various stakeholders working collaboratively to enter information about cases of trafficking.Afrikaans: Mensehandel het ’n betekenisvolle komponent van die onwettige globale ekonomie geword, en word wêreldwyd as ’n groeiende probleem erken. Hoewel daar verskeie pogings aangewend is om die omvang van globale mensehandel te skat, bly die ware omvang van die probleem onbekend. Ondanks wydverspreide krete vir meer akkurate skattings van die probleem, ontwyk enigisins waardevolle statistieke steeds. Daar is verskeie uitdagings rakende navorsing in mensehandel in die algemeen en om korrekte getalle van mensehandel te probeer verkry is veral moeilik. Suid-Afrika se reaksies op mensehandel is nog in hul kinderskoene en huidige wetgewing betreffende mensehandel in Suid-Afrika is uiters gefragmenteerd. Tans is die grootste hindernis met betrekking tot die versameling van kwantitatiewe data oor mensehandel (met spesifieke verwysing na die getal slagoffers in die geïdentifiseerde mensehandelstrome) afwesigheid van omvattende, losstaande nasionale wetgewing oor mensehandel. Wanneer so ’n wet uitgevaardig word, sal dit ’n databasis vir mensehandel of bestuursinligting van mensehandel, of ’n bekendmakingsisteem daarstel wat verskeie belanghebbende partye in staat sal stel om inligting aangaande gevalle van handel te deel.enHuman traffickingTrafficking in personsResearchArticleUniversity of the Free State