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The father of tech billionaire Elon Musk is working on a project to provide refugee status in Russia for South African farmers, he told AFP, in an initiative similar to one supported by the United States government.
The plan is expected to resettle 50 families from the white Afrikaans minority, descendants of early Dutch settlers, according to a Russian official.
The same group of South Africans has been offered refugee status by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has claimed they face persecution under South Africa’s post-apartheid government—an allegation widely disputed.
Nearly 5,000 white Afrikaners have reportedly entered the United States as refugees since Trump took office last year, with most other refugee programmes being largely suspended.
The US arrangement has drawn criticism from the South African government, which denies any claims of discrimination against the group.
Speaking to AFP by telephone from Moscow, Errol Musk said: “It’s about providing refugee status to South African farmers.”
He did not provide full details of the initiative.
In an interview with Russian media outlet Gubernia 33, he claimed white Afrikaner farmers were being targeted for murder—allegations strongly rejected by South African authorities.
The governor of Russia’s Vladimir region, Aleksandr Avdeyev, said he had discussed the proposal with Musk, including plans for agricultural development and the possible settlement of 50 Dutch-origin families from South Africa.
While Afrikaner migration to Russia has been reported since at least 2018, Musk’s involvement appears to be a recent development.
Now in his late 70s, Errol Musk remains a controversial figure. In a previous interview, he denied that racial oppression occurred under apartheid.
Elon Musk, who left South Africa as a teenager, has also repeatedly criticised the South African government, particularly over regulatory issues affecting his Starlink internet service.
In a recent social media post, he said: “South Africa won’t allow Starlink to be licensed, even though I was BORN THERE, simply because I am not Black!”
South African officials maintain that licensing rules are based on laws aimed at correcting apartheid-era inequalities, requiring significant ownership by previously disadvantaged groups.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson has accused Elon Musk of spreading “lies and disinformation.”
Observers have described Errol Musk’s Russia resettlement plan as “puzzling,” warning it could strain relations between Pretoria and Moscow, which have historically maintained close ties dating back to the anti-apartheid struggle.
South Africa has generally avoided openly criticising Russia, maintaining diplomatic relations despite Western pressure.
Analysts say the proposal could add further diplomatic sensitivity, particularly given ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Russia.
