As South Africa enters the school holiday period, parents are once again navigating a familiar challenge, keeping children safely occupied during long days at home.
But experts warn that the concern has shifted beyond physical safety, into the digital world where risks are less visible and often more sophisticated.
New findings from UNICEF show that more than 95% of South African children have regular access to the internet, yet only 41% have ever received guidance on online safety.
Even more concerning, over half of children, around 52%, say they have added people they have never met in real life to their online networks, a behaviour that significantly increases exposure to scams, manipulation and exploitation.
“School holidays often mean more screen time, less routine, and a greater likelihood of children engaging in online activities independently,” says Audrey Roberts, Customer Operations Executive at RCS.
