Johannesburg, 10 February 2026 – As the world commemorates Safer Internet Day under the global theme “Together for a better internet”, Moxii Africa announces the launch of its 11th intake of the Web Rangers project at the Film and Publication Board (FPB)’s Safer Internet Day event in Mahikeng, North West Province, on 10 February 2026.
The Web Rangers is a digital and media literacy multi-stakeholder initiative designed to allow children, parents and schools to gain critical skills and knowledge around online safety and media literacy, which they use to promote safe internet usage and champion learner’s rights in the digital world. In 2026, the programme continues to deepen its footprint across five provinces, ensuring that learners from diverse backgrounds gain access to quality digital safety education, helping to bridge South Africa’s gap in digital literacy and build national digital resilience.
This year’s project launch comes at a pivotal moment in the global conversation about child safety online, following Australia’s groundbreaking legislation introducing a mandatory minimum age of 16 for social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 aims to protect children from cyberbullying, harmful content, and online predators; risks that resonate deeply with South African youth and families.
“The Australian legislation has sparked important debates globally about balancing child protection with digital rights and access,” says Phakamile Madonsela, Public and Media Skills Development Manager at Moxii Africa. “We believe young people must be at the centre of these conversations, not simply subjects of policies made about them.”
The Web Rangers 2026 launch includes several key activities to facilitate this critical dialogue:
- Web Rangers is soliciting perspectives from both learners, teachers and parents on the contentious issue of age restrictions for social media access.
The Social Media Ban Debate: Under 16 & Offline? - The 4th edition of the Web Rangers comic book, addressing misinformation and disinformation, is distributed online to help young people critically evaluate content.
Comic English
Comic isiZulu
Comic Sesotho - Moxii Africa will host a Moot Court where policy, child rights experts and children will debate and unpack the pros and cons of banning social media for under-16s, while prioritising child rights in the digital world. This interactive session will give voice to young people’s perspectives on policies that directly affect their digital lives.
About Moxii Africa
Moxii Africa’s vision is to strive for open and trusted information and to build an accessible, accountable, and transparent information ecosystem we can trust. We aim to ensure accountability, open information, promote safety, empower the public, and instill information integrity in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
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About Web Rangers
Web Rangers is a digital citizenship programme that empowers young South Africans with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to use the internet safely and responsibly. Now in its 11th year, the programme has reached thousands of learners across multiple provinces, addressing critical issues including cyberbullying, online privacy, misinformation, and digital rights. Project partners include The Department of Communications & Digital Technologies (DCDT), Google, Meta, MTN, Falcorp, Catholic institute of Education (CIE).
For more information on what Web Rangers are doing, follow their work on Twitter @MediaMatters, webrangers.co.za, on Instagram @webrangersza and Facebook webrangersSA
Media Contact:
Phakamile Madonsela
Public and Media Skills Development Manager
Moxii Africa
Email: phakamilek@mma.org.za
