From Tinder (?) to Terrorism: How ISIL in South Africa Makes and Moves Money

Group Profile

ISIL in South Africa, while not officially recognized as a formal province, has become critical for the Islamic State’s financial operations in central, eastern, and southern Africa. Cells operating in Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg generate revenue through criminal means such as extortion, robbery, and kidnapping. The funds are then pooled and often moved directly to IS branches in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), or moved to the Al-Karrar office where ISIL Somalia further distributes the money to affiliates. In 2022, the UN highlighted that more than a million dollars originating in South Africa was transferred to ISIL leadership.

What techniques do members of ISIL in South Africa use to facilitate the Islamic State’s extensive financial network? Keep reading to find out.

Origins and Operations

In 2013, South Africans began traveling to Syria to join ISIL. However, it was not until 2016 that the South African government first publicly acknowledged the group’s presence in the country. Estimates suggest that between 60 and 100 South Africans have joined the terrorist organization, mainly in the major cities of Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg.

Instead of carrying out terrorist attacks, South African cells focus on conducting criminal activity to raise funds and act as middlemen for other ISIL affiliates. Members leverage the country’s insufficient financial safeguards, corrupt institutions, and rampant criminality to move money and material into active conflict zones.