Ensuring the safety of children in digital spaces — which are becoming increasingly dangerous — is a responsibility shared between governments, academia, civil society, businesses, and families. So says Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, who was speaking at the second International Conference on Children’s Rights, recently hosted by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) in partnership with Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Law. The conference built on the momentum from a six-month digital safety campaign that puts children’s voices at the centre of advocacy.
Image credit: Joseph Agboola on Unsplash
More than 35 years after the adoption of child rights instruments, and four years after the publication of the United Nations General Comment No. 25, the conference and its companion side events marked a milestone in advancing children’s rights in the digital age.
Children’s rights in the digital age
A pre-conference Symposium on Digital Safety and Child Participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution brought together a broad coalition of actors: academics and researchers, civil society advocates, the private sector and the media, as well as international organisations.
Representatives from entities including the South African National Child Rights Coalition, the MTN Group, Netflix, Save the Children South Africa, the Bureau of Market Research, and others deliberated on the national and regional landscape of digital safety and how to confront both the opportunities and risks of the digital era.
Digital platforms are reshaping childhood across Africa, offering new pathways for learning, creativity, and civic participation, but also exposing children to risks including cyberbullying, exploitation, algorithmic discrimination, and grooming.
Against this backdrop, the fund is driving a systems-level approach that integrates research, child-led dialogue, and policy advocacy to generate sustainable solutions.
The initiative directly builds on the African Children’s Summit (ACS) 2025, where children demanded a digital world that “respects our rights, protects our safety, and amplifies our voices.”
It also aligns with the call for coordinated regional action by Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children.
Digital safety
The digital safety campaign started in August 2025 and will run for the next six months.
It began with the launch of the ACS 2025 Report and includes technical Brown Bag Dialogues on pressing issues such as artificial intelligence and online harms, the convening of multi-stakeholder symposiums, and the creation of platforms for child leaders to engage directly with decision-makers.
The process will culminate later this year in the Digital Justice Summit, a landmark child-led gathering scheduled to take place during the 16 Days of Activism against violence against women and children.
Outcomes will include a Digital Safety Policy Brief co-authored by children, which will inform targeted advocacy and deeper engagement with regional and global bodies like the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo, CEO, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, said, “Children are not passive recipients of protection; they are leaders and actors in shaping Africa’s digital future.
“At this conference, we were reminded that digital spaces present both opportunities and risks, from expanding access to education to exposing children to exploitation and harmful biases.
“For the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, child participation is not symbolic; it is foundational. Their insights are authoritative, and our responsibility is to ensure they translate into real change in law, policy, and practice.
“Safeguarding children’s rights in the digital age is a shared responsibility that requires governments, academia, civil society, businesses, and families working together.”
Fundemental right
The conference also enabled child leaders, including Philipa Cride-Dole, incoming chair of the Africa Children’s Summit 2027, to air their views about digital safety.
At the conference, Cride-Dole had the following to say: “From the Africa Children’s Summit, we learned that digital safety is a fundamental right.
“We want online spaces free from bullying and exploitation, but we also want to be empowered to navigate them responsibly.
“We are not just users of technology; we are leaders of change.
“That means involving us in decisions, supporting our digital literacy, and creating policies that reflect our lived realities.
“Access to safe and inclusive digital spaces is not optional; it is essential for every African child.”
The conference featured a child-led panel convened in partnership with Save the Children South Africa and the CyberCulture Foundation that tackled critical issues, including cyberbullying and human trafficking.
During the conference, Tara Hendricks, a child leader, said ‘’This project began after children at ACS 2025 urged leaders to protect us online.
“Since then, we’ve held discussions about how apps really work, engaged in this international conference, and will move toward a Digital Justice Summit.
“One of the biggest risks we face is artificial intelligence. While AI can personalise learning, it also harms children’s mental health, invades privacy, and isolates us socially.
“The dangers often outweigh the benefits.
“As children, we are asking that AI use be monitored and limited, and that our well-being come first.
“Technology should serve children, not endanger us.’’
