As part of its ongoing commitment to safety and inclusivity, TikTok, in partnership with the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC), hosted a Women in Media Safety Roundtable on October 8 at its South African headquarters in Rosebank.

The event forms part of a broader series across Sub-Saharan Africa aimed at tackling tech-facilitated gender-based violence affecting women in the media industry.

The roundtable brought together journalists, digital safety experts, civil society, regulators, and online creators to develop collaborative approaches that protect women’s voices in media while fostering safer online spaces.

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Kim Thipe, the executive director of CABC, highlighted the need for collective action. “Addressing tech-facilitated gender-based violence requires more than just policies; it demands deep listening, data-driven insights, and collaboration across sectors.”

She added that by combining lived experiences with research-backed strategies, these discussions were helping co-create safer digital environments that centre community voices and local contexts.

CABC’s research lead, Kyle Janse, explained that their data insights drew on input from local stakeholders who dealt with harmful content daily, enabling better categorisation and moderation of gender-related hate speech on digital platforms.

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TikTok outreach and partnerships manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Duduzile Mkhize, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to learning from those on the frontlines.

“To understand our local community, we must first understand their world. As we learn more, we do more. We value the participation of the South African media industry in helping us create a safe and creative platform for all users.”

Mkhize emphasised that these roundtables provided opportunities to reshape digital spaces into inclusive environments where women and marginalised communities could express themselves freely.

“TikTok is bringing together people tackling gender-based violence, civil society organisations, community leaders, journalists, and survivors, to ensure interventions are rooted in lived realities,” she said.

By fostering open dialogue, TikTok aims to strengthen its safety measures in South Africa and the wider region, while raising awareness about its tools and resources designed to promote user well-being.

“Most importantly, these conversations are about building trust and partnerships that empower women to participate fully and thrive online without fear.”

Reggy Moalusi, the executive director of South African National Editors’ Forum, commended the initiative but noted ongoing challenges, “We remain deeply concerned about the harassment of female journalists. Discussions like this show there’s still much work to be done. Collaboration between organisations, platforms, and government is essential.”

Mkhize concluded, “Creating safe spaces online isn’t just about technology, it’s about humanity.”

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