Ahead of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and G20 Women's Shutdown, RCS has expressed concern about the worrying escalation of technology-facilitated GBV (TFGBV) in South Africa. The financial services provider is calling for urgent action as online harassment becomes more insidious with technology like generative AI and deepfakes.
Aligning with the 2025 theme, “Unite to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” RCS says the need for intervention is critical.
The most recent RCS Violence Survey, developed in partnership with BNP Paribas and the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), found that 53% of South African women experienced some form of GBV in the last year.
“Online abuse rarely stays online.
“It inflicts significant real-world harm on a victim’s mental health, career, and overall sense of safety,” says Tali Anderssen, legal and compliance executive at RCS.
“Technology being misused gives perpetrators new tools and reach.
“This 16 Days, our message is clear: digital platforms must be a space for empowerment, not exploitation, and every citizen, employer, and platform has a duty to make it safe.”
Refilwe Mokoena and Anzio Jacobs 1 day Tech-driven harm
Although it may not seem directly or physically threatening, digital violence, as an umbrella term, covers a range of technology-driven harms.
Some are overt, like explicit harassment or threats.
Others are more insidious, such as the non-consensual sharing of intimate or explicit images, identity theft, or manipulation through deepfake AI.
Common forms include:
- Cyberbullying and sustained online harassment.
- Doxxing, which is the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual without their consent.
- Sextortion and online coercion.
- Image-based abuse and deepfake pornography.
- Scams and impersonation targeting women.
While these behaviours take place online, their impact is deeply personal and affects women and girls in their daily lives.
This can range from anxiety and reputational damage to in-person stalking and physical harm.
Digital self-defence
For Anderssen, progress starts with awareness and taking shared responsibility.
“Digital safety is everyone’s business,” she says.
“Employers, educators, technology and social media companies must build systems that proactively protect users, not just react when something goes wrong.”
To this end, RCS supports the UN Women’s 2025 UNiTE campaign to end digital violence against all women and girls.
RCS encourages South Africans to take simple, practical steps that can have a big impact on digital safety:
- Audit your privacy settings: Secure all accounts. Review who can see your personal information, photos, and status updates on every platform.
- Strengthen passwords: Use strong, complex passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all devices, accounts and apps.
- Guard your location data: Disable geotagging and location services for social media and apps where your location is not essential. Avoid sharing sensitive details such as home addresses or travel plans.
- Gather evidence and report: Do not delete content. Save screenshots, block offenders, and report the abuse immediately to the relevant platform authorities and law enforcement.
- Educate and establish boundaries: Talk to family members and children about online safety, boundaries, and the importance of never sharing intimate images or personal data.
Intervention
The RCS Violence Survey suggests that the workplace remains a crucial point of intervention.
Anderssen urges employers to treat digital abuse as seriously as any other form of in-person harassment.
“That means including digital conduct in company policies, offering safe reporting channels, and supporting affected staff through counselling or legal assistance,” says Anderssen.
Meanwhile, technology and social media platforms can do more to create safer environments through stronger content moderation, faster takedown processes, and improved transparency.
“The responsibility shouldn’t fall on victims to clean up the mess,” Anderssen says.
“Platforms and social media companies have the power to reduce harm in how products or software are designed and should prioritise user care, dignity, and justice.”
Ending digital abuse
This 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December, ending on International Human Rights Day.
This year’s campaign calls on countries, companies, and citizens to collaborate in ending digital abuse and protecting women’s rights online and offline.
As Anderssen concludes, “Every woman deserves to feel safe wherever she chooses to exist.
"Digital platforms should be a space for empowerment, not exploitation. Each of us can help make it so.”
If you’ve been a victim of digital violence or online abuse, you can report it to SAPS on 0860 010 111. You can also report it online using the portal on Cybercrime.org.za.
