Errol Musk, father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, is involved in a project aimed at securing refugee status in Russia for a group of South African farmers, in a move drawing comparisons to a similar initiative in the United States.
The proposal, according to Russian officials, would see around 50 families from the white Afrikaans community resettled in Russia. The group has also been the focus of a controversial US programme under Donald Trump, which has claimed they face persecution in South Africa, an assertion strongly rejected by the South African government.
Reports indicate that thousands of Afrikaners have already been granted refugee status in the United States since Trump took office, while refugee programmes for other groups were significantly curtailed.
Speaking from Moscow, Errol Musk confirmed that the initiative centres on offering refugee status to South African farmers, though he provided limited detail on how the plan would be implemented.
The project has reportedly been discussed with Aleksandr Avdeyev, governor of the Vladimir region, who indicated that talks included agricultural development and the potential resettlement of families of Dutch descent from South Africa.
Musk has previously argued that Afrikaner farmers are being targeted by violent crime, a claim that has been widely disputed within South Africa. Similar arguments have been used by US authorities to justify their resettlement programme.
The initiative has raised concerns among analysts, with some suggesting it could strain relations between Pretoria and Moscow. Friedrich von Treskow described the plan as puzzling, particularly given the historically close ties between the two countries.
South Africa and Russia maintain longstanding diplomatic relations dating back to the anti-apartheid struggle, when the Soviet Union supported the African National Congress.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has continued to criticise the South African government, including over regulatory hurdles faced by his satellite internet venture. His remarks have drawn a response from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office, which accused him of spreading misinformation.
The developments come amid broader scrutiny of political and economic ties involving Russia and South Africa, as well as ongoing debates around migration, land reform, and crime within the country.
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