Country: South Africa (five provinces: North West, Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga)

The challenge and what MTN wanted to achieve

South African children face growing risks in digital spaces, including cyberbullying, online exploitation, disinformation and exposure to child sexual abuse material. While children’s rights are protected under Section 28 of South Africa’s Bill of Rights and international conventions, many schools lack the policies, technical capacity and training to respond effectively to online harms. Through our Help Children Be Children campaign and the Bona Bana Programme, we aim to close this gap by strengthening digital literacy, safeguarding systems and increasing children’s participation in decisions that affect their online lives. Our objective is to ensure that digital inclusion is matched with protection, responsibility and ethical use of technology.

What we did

In 2025, MTN South Africa partnered with Moxii Africa to implement the Web Rangers and Article 12 Policy Working Group initiative across five provinces. A Representative Council of Learners, comprised of 246 children aged 12 to 17, took part in intensive two-day provincial training workshops. Learners rotated through interactive learning stations covering: 

• AI and algorithms 
• mental health
• cyber-ills, including sexting, cyberbullying, online gender-based violence and child sexual abuse material
• managing personal information 
• responsible communication
• inappropriate and harmful online content. 

After completing the training, the Web Rangers returned to their schools and worked alongside teachers to train an additional 1 217 learners using a peer-to-peer education model.

Outcomes and impact

The programme expanded beyond classrooms through anti-bullying campaigns for parents and outreach during Safer Internet Day and Child Protection Week, reaching a further 1 626 learners. The Article 12 Policy Working Group enabled trained Web Ranger ambassadors to participate in policy and advocacy processes, including research on climate change disinformation, contributions to a national child-protection policy brief, the development of a fourth educational comic on AI and disinformation and a three-part podcast series released during the 16 Days of Activism campaign. The initiative was supported by partners including Google South Africa, Meta South Africa, Falcorp, the Media Development and Diversity Agency, the Film and Publication Board and the South African Police Service.

The Bona Bana Programme strengthened digital citizenship, safeguarding practices and reporting capacity within participating school communities. In 2024, 35 teachers, five school governing body members and 146 RCL learners were trained on the legal framework for child online safety, while 2 424 learners and 450 parents were reached through broader engagement. 95% of teachers reported feeling more confident addressing online safety in classrooms and schools began integrating Web Rangers content into their safeguarding policies. 

Lessons learnt

The programme also demonstrated the importance of accessible language, early engagement with school governance structures and diversified funding to sustain long-term advocacy. These lessons are shaping the next phase of expansion of the Bona Bana model and reinforcing our commitment to responsible connectivity and ethical digital inclusion.