South Africa: The Digital SOS

A youth feminist technologist in South Africa uses digital tools, youth-led research and survivor-centered innovation to challenge Technology-Facilitated GBV and reshape the digital justice landscape. 

Kwenzokuhle Khoza is a Community Advocate at Gender Rights in Tech (GRIT), an organisation pioneering survivor‑centred digital tools in South Africa. Her work stands at the intersection of grassroots activism and feminist technology, ensuring that justice‑tech tools respond directly to the lived experiences of survivors of gender‑based violence. 

Before these interventions, South Africa faced a dual crisis: one of the highest global femicide rates offline, and an escalating wave of Technology‑Facilitated Gender‑Based Violence (TFGBV) online. Survivors experienced cyberstalking, doxxing, impersonation, and the non‑consensual sharing of intimate images with little legal protection or support from technology platforms. Many lacked digital literacy, leaving them unable to navigate or report online harms safely and effectively. 

Through her WOSSO fellowship project, “Ctrl + Alt + Reclaim”, Kwenzokuhle helped lead GRIT’s multi‑layered strategy combining youth‑led research, survivor‑centred design, and feminist advocacy. Groups of young people were trained as researchers in their own schools and communities to identify the specific ways TFGBV affects their generation. Their findings shaped the development of ethical technology solutions and informed GRIT’s new Digital S.O.S podcast. 

The Digital S.O.S Podcast (Ctrl + Alt + Reclaim) acts as a disruptive advocacy tool, aimed at bridging digital literacy gaps and holding tech companies accountable to ethical standards. It also serves as a platform for survivors, youth activists and experts to discuss safety, justice, and feminist digital futures. 

Alongside the podcast, GRIT continues to refine its justice‑tech tools, including the Zuzi chatbot (ChatGBV) and the GRIT App, which offer immediate, 24/7 survivor‑centered support to those experiencing violence online or offline. These tools are designed using co‑creation methodology meaning survivors and youth contribute to how the tools speak, respond, and support users. 

The change emerging from this work is felt at local, national, and potentially regional levels. Young researchers now understand, name, and challenge TFGBV. Survivors gain access to practical, accessible technology designed with their needs at the Centre. Tech companies and policy actors are increasingly aware of their accountability in creating safer digital ecosystems. 

Sustainability is built into GRIT’s model through a train‑the‑trainer system that enables youth researchers to mentor new cohorts, ensuring continuity. The Digital S.O.S Podcast functions as a permanent digital archive, providing ongoing education long after workshops end. GRIT also plans to advocate for a Survivor’s Digital Bill of Rights to anchor digital safety within policy frameworks. 

Through partnerships with NGOs, schools, telecommunications companies and regional networks, GRIT aims to scale justice‑tech tools across South Africa and the SADC region. The long‑term goal is a feminist digital ecosystem where safety, dignity and justice are not privileges, but rights for all. 

Quotes 

Portia Zungu, “I can describe ZUZI as friendly and supportive… she gives correct information and is available 24/7 without judgement.”

Youth‑Led Researcher, “Being part of youth‑led research taught me that young people can influence safer, more inclusive digital spaces."