As South Africa and the African continent continue to expand access to the internet and digital technologies, children are participating in online spaces at unprecedented levels. While these platforms provide opportunities for learning, creativity, and empowerment, they also expose children to serious risks including cyberbullying, harmful content, exploitation, data misuse, and violations of their human rights and in particular right to privacy.

The Conference brings together a broad range of stakeholders: including government, civil society, private sector actors, and most importantly, children, to engage in a coordinated and solutions-driven dialogue. This multi-sectoral engagement recognises that the protection of children is a shared responsibility.

The SAHRC emphasises that children’s rights apply equally in the digital environment as they do offline. The right to privacy, enshrined in Section 14 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, as well as in international instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is central to the dignity, development, and autonomy of every child. In the digital age, this right is increasingly under threat through the processing of personal data, online surveillance, and exposure to harmful digital practices.

This Conference provides a critical platform to:

• Amplify the voices of children and ensure their lived experiences shape policy and practice;
• Assess existing legal and policy frameworks, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Cybercrimes Act;
• Identify gaps in protection and enforcement in relation to children’s digital rights;
• Promote digital literacy and awareness among children, parents, educators, and communities; and
• Develop actionable recommendations towards a safer and more empowering digital environment for children.

The Conference will be held as follows:

• Venue: Protea Hotel, 1369 14th Road, Noordwyk, Midrand.
• Date: 28 March 2026
• Time: 08H00

Through its participatory and child-centred approach, the Conference seeks to foster meaningful child participation, ensuring that children are not merely beneficiaries of protection, but active contributors to the solutions that affect them - “Nothing about us without us.” 

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission