A 28-year-old South African woman, Nicolette Bongiwe Nkomo, died in Cambodia after travelling there in search of what her family believed was a teaching job.
According to her family, Nkomo instead found herself trapped in an environment linked to an alleged scam operation. Her passport was reportedly taken from her, while she was allegedly subjected to mistreatment and made to work without receiving payment.
Nkomo reportedly told her brother about the difficult conditions and repeatedly expressed her desire to return home. Her family said she spent weeks trying to escape and recover her passport and other personal documents, but was unsuccessful.
On March 7, 2026, Nkomo was found dead inside a room she had been renting with a Chinese friend.
Following her death, the friend reportedly discovered a letter that Nkomo had written to her brother. In the letter, she apologised to him, said she was going to join their parents, encouraged him to remain strong and wished him well in the future.
The family was then faced with the challenge of bringing her remains back to South Africa.
The cost of repatriating the body was reportedly estimated at nearly R300,000, an amount the family struggled to raise.
The family also faced mounting preservation costs, with a funeral parlour reportedly charging about US$50 per day to keep the body.
They were allegedly warned that if arrangements could not be made, Nkomo could eventually receive a pauper’s burial.
The family appealed for additional time to raise the required funds but said communication with the authorities later stopped.
They were subsequently left without clear information about what had happened to Nkomo’s remains or whether she had already been buried.
Her personal belongings and clothing also reportedly remained in Cambodia, with the family facing additional costs to have the items transported back to South Africa.
Nkomo’s case highlights the dangers faced by people who travel overseas after being offered seemingly legitimate employment opportunities, particularly in countries where victims can become vulnerable to trafficking and scam networks.
