“South Africa will be undertaking research on online harmful content to strengthen digital governance and protect free expression, an SM4P project initiative.
On 10 March 2026, UNESCO launched a major national research initiative to examine the governance of online harmful content in South Africa, convening key stakeholders at an inception workshop in Johannesburg. The hybrid event brought together 54 participants from government, regulatory bodies, academia, civil society, media, and technology platforms, signalling a coordinated push toward strengthening evidence-based digital governance.
The study, led by Research ICT Africa (RIA), the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC), and Moxii Africa, is supported under UNESCO’s Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) project, funded by the European Union. It aims to generate critical insights into the spread and regulation of harmful online content, including hate speech and disinformation, within South Africa’s unique socio-political and cultural context.
The research will explore the root causes, scale, and real-world impact of harmful content, while also reviewing existing policies, regulatory frameworks, platform governance systems, and civil society responses. Ultimately, it will produce rights-based, practical recommendations to strengthen multi-stakeholder approaches to online content governance, while safeguarding freedom of expression.
Participants at the workshop contributed to shaping the research design, methodology, and contextual framing of the study, ensuring it reflects local realities and stakeholder priorities.
The findings are expected to inform evidence-based policymaking, enhance digital platform accountability, and strengthen protections for freedom of expression and access to information in South Africa.”
This post was originally published by UNESCO on 18 March 2026.
