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As stronger regulatory interventions to improve online safety emerge worldwide, South Africa appears to be moving backwards towards an ineffective self-regulatory model it had previously abandoned.The death of a 17-year-old last month following serious online abuse and humiliation is a painful reminder of the consequences of digital harm, and why online safety requires more than voluntary safeguards. Many cases go unreported across Africa, including South Africa.OS Lab’s report in February this year, Digital Safety in Schools, noted that children as young as nine have social media accounts despite platforms’ age restrictions.Despite concerns, policymakers have made clear that South Africa should not pursue a minimum-age restriction preventing children under 16 from accessing social media platforms. Communications & digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi argues that there is no irrefutable evidence that a general ban would prevent young people from remaining digitally active. He instead favours digital literacy, stronger platform safeguards, responsible industry self-regulation and greater parental supervision.Such measures are necessary, but have proved insufficient amid escalating online harms. Justifying inaction because irrefutable evidence is lacking amounts to policy inertia and a denial of voluntary safeguards’ limitations. Socio-economic challenges in developing countries can undermine parental controls and supervision.South Africa gained a head start through the 2019 amendments to the Films and Publications Act, moving away from an ineffective self-regulatory model. The reforms required commercial online content distributors to register with the Film and Publication Board (FPB). The act empowers the FPB to issue takedown notices, handle complaints and impose fines through an enforcement committee. Prohibited content includes propaganda for war, incitement of imminent violence and hate speech.
South Africa has the foundations for platform regulation: laws, regulators and a statutory enforcement committee. Yet the administrative and political will to enforce them — supported by rigorous parliamentary oversight — appears to be lacking.
Imperfect as it may be, this framework gave South Africa a pioneering role and paved the way for the FPB’s admission to the Global Online Safety Regulators Network (GOSRN) in 2022, creating opportunities to help shape international approaches and standards. Why, then, is South Africa regressing towards weaker enforcement and voluntary measures when its citizens, particularly children and women, remain exposed to serious online harms? South Africa has the foundations for platform regulation: laws, regulators and a statutory enforcement committee. Yet the administrative and political will to enforce them — supported by rigorous parliamentary oversight — appears to be lacking. In fast-moving digital markets, what matters is not simply the number of laws on the statute book, but a coherent, adaptive and enforceable regulatory system that translates statutory authority into action and measurable impact. Debates about online safety often conflate technology education (TechEd), educational technology (EdTech) and social media. This fuels the claim that regulating social media would restrict children’s access to technology. Yet social media is not synonymous with technology education, and not all digital tools serve an educational purpose. Preparing children for future work requires communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, not simply increased screen time. South Africa’s online safety landscape spans several laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, the Films and Publications Act and the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia). Further policy development includes the draft white paper on audiovisual services and online safety, in circulation since 2018. In May this year, the department of basic education (DBE) told Parliament it was developing screen-time guidelines for children aged two to six.This proliferation reflects disparate policy paths within the government of national unity (GNU), whose constituents hold diverse positions. The result is incoherence and discontinuity. The Films and Publications Act, draft white paper and proposed screen-time guidelines illustrate the need to align legislation and policy. Parallel initiatives risk inconsistent standards and unclear accountability. South Africa needs an integrated national framework with common outcomes, defined institutional roles, a shared implementation plan and public reporting. Stronger platform regulation can also help develop a local trust-and-safety industry. Implementation creates demand for content moderation, child-safety design, digital forensics, risk assessment, compliance, research and user-support services. With high youth unemployment, South Africa can build regional capabilities rather than import them. Clear rules, combined with public procurement, research funding, skills development and start-up support, can enable African entrepreneurs to develop locally relevant safety technologies. South Africa’s legal foundations, institutional experience and human capital provide a basis for leadership in online safety. Realising this potential requires coherence, continuity, and administrative and political will. Digital literacy and parental support remain important, but they should complement enforceable duties rather than substitute for them. Linking platform duties, capable institutions, citizen education and trust-and-safety investment can turn online safety into public value, economic participation and continental influence.South Africa should pursue three linked priorities: adopt an integrated online safety framework; invest in collaborative, regulatory capacity through the recently established Information, Communication Technologies and Media Regulators Forum of South Africa; and develop a domestic trust-and-safety economy through skills development, research, start-up support and deliberate public procurement. Boloka is the chief executive of Online Safety Lab (OS Lab)
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