What began as a heartbreaking missing child case has now been exposed as a harrowing tale of betrayal, greed, and unthinkable cruelty.
In a story shaking South Africa and the world, six-year-old Joshlin Smith, who vanished from her Saldanha Bay home in February 2024, is still missing. But justice has spoken.
Her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, once seen as a grieving parent, was sentenced to life in prison on May 29, 2025, along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn. Their crime: selling Joshlin to a traditional healer known as a sangoma for 20,000 rand (around $1,100).
According to chilling court testimony, the sangoma allegedly wanted Joshlin for her rare green eyes and fair skin, believed to have ritual value.
Even more disturbing, witnesses testified that Smith had spoken about selling her children months before Joshlin disappeared. One said she was willing to accept as little as $275.
On February 18, 2024, neighbors saw Joshlin and her mother approach a white vehicle. That was the last time anyone saw the little girl.
Smith later claimed she had left Joshlin in the care of Appollis. But the investigation revealed a planned child trafficking operation, destroying any pretense of innocence.
The trial, held in a packed community center due to overwhelming public interest, exposed a grim reality. A mother willingly exchanged her daughter for money. None of the accused showed any remorse.
Judge Nathan Erasmus, in delivering the verdict, called their actions inhumane and calculated, and rejected drug use as a mitigating factor. All three were sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking and ten additional years for kidnapping. Their names have been added to the child protection register.
Despite international search efforts, Joshlin’s whereabouts remain unknown.
This case has triggered national outrage and drawn attention to South Africa’s child trafficking crisis, where more than 17,000 kidnappings were reported in the 2023 to 2024 financial year.
🚨 A reward is still being offered for any information that could lead to Joshlin’s return. While the country seeks justice, many still hold onto the hope that Joshlin might one day be found.