Lantern · Africa
AfricaCyberbullying law, country by country
Few African countries have a law written just for school bullying, but several now treat bullying or online harassment as a crime. Egypt made bullying an offence in 2020, Tanzania has an offence named cyber bullying, and Nigeria adopted a national anti-bullying policy for every school in 2025. This page covers six countries with such laws or policies, in plain English.
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Profiles of countries in Africa
Country
Egypt
Bullying has been a crime since 2020, schools must combat it under ministry rules, and phones are banned in schools.
Compare with anywhere else Open the full page for EgyptProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Partly:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Partly. There is no school anti-bullying law, but Ministry of Education rules for public and private schools require schools to combat bullying in all its forms and ban physical and psychological punishment.
Legal detail and sources
The rules for each school year are issued by ministerial decree; schools also rely on social workers and psychologists. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (CairoScene), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Partly:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Partly. The school rules do not single out online bullying, but cybercrime law covers online harassment, and the bullying offence applies however it is carried out.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer relies on legal commentary or other non-official summaries (Plan International), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Partly:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Partly. There is no takedown regulator for bullying. Article 7 of the 2018 Cybercrime Law (Law 175 of 2018) lets investigating authorities order websites blocked when their content is a crime and threatens national security or the economy.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer relies on legal commentary or other non-official summaries (AFTE), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media. In January 2026 the national child-protection council set out online 'red lines' as Parliament began drafting rules on children's access to social media.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (MEA Tech Watch), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Yes:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Yes. A Ministry of Education directive enforcing Ministerial Resolution 187 of 2023 bans phone use in all schools during the school day.
Legal detail and sources
Earlier rules banned phones with cameras outright. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Egypt Independent and CairoScene), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Yes. Since 2020, article 309 bis (b) of the Penal Code makes bullying a crime. A 2023 amendment raised the penalties to up to one year in prison and a fine of up to EGP 100,000, with heavier penalties for group bullying or when the bully has authority over the victim.
Legal detail and sources
Law 189 of 2020 created the offence. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Egyptian Streets and CairoScene) and other non-official summaries, not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Mondaq (Youssry Saleh & Partners): the bullying offence in article 309 bis (b) of the Penal Code (opens in a new tab)
- Egyptian Streets: Parliament approves tougher penalties for harassment and bullying (November 2023) (opens in a new tab)
- CairoScene: new penalties for bullying under article 309 (B) (opens in a new tab)
- Partly:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Partly. Ministry rules give school social workers and psychologists a role in dealing with bullying, but there is no national anti-bullying training requirement.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (CairoScene), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
Country
Kenya
The Children Act names cyberbullying as abuse, cyber harassment carries up to 10 years in prison, and phones are banned in schools.
Compare with anywhere else Open the full page for KenyaProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Partly:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Partly. No law requires schools to have anti-bullying rules, but the Children Act 2022 protects children from abuse, and Teachers Service Commission guidelines tell schools how to keep learners safe and curb bullying.
Legal detail and sources
A Basic Education Bill, 2026 is before Parliament. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Kenyans.co.ke) as well as official sources.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. The Children Act 2022 lists cyberbullying, cyber harassment and cyberstalking among forms of online abuse of children.
- Partly:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Partly. A 2025 amendment let the national cybercrimes committee order websites and apps blocked, but the High Court suspended that power and later declared it unconstitutional.
Legal detail and sources
Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2025. Source note: this answer relies on legal commentary or other non-official summaries (Digital Policy Alert), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media. Processing a child's personal data needs a parent's or guardian's consent under the Data Protection Act.
- Yes:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Yes. Phones are banned in basic education schools under long-standing Ministry of Education rules.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (The Standard), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Yes. Cyber harassment is a crime under section 27 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, with up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to Sh20 million.
Legal detail and sources
A 2025 amendment widened the offence, including messages likely to lead someone to suicide. The High Court suspended parts of the new section 27 in October 2025, and in July 2026 the new blocking power and section 27(1)(b) were declared unconstitutional. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Capital FM) and other non-official summaries, not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. Teachers Service Commission guidelines set out what teachers must do to protect learners and prevent bullying.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Kenyans.co.ke), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
Country
Nigeria
A national anti-bullying policy for all schools since 2025 covers cyberbullying, and cyberstalking is a crime.
Compare with anywhere else Open the full page for NigeriaProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Partly:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Partly. There is no anti-bullying statute, but the National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools, adopted by the National Council on Education in February 2025, applies to all public and private schools and non-formal learning centres.
Legal detail and sources
Students who bully can face sanctions from suspension to expulsion. The 2021 National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools also applies.
- UNESCO: National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools and its Implementation Guidelines (2025) (opens in a new tab)
- National Council on Education communiqué adopting the anti-bullying policy (6 February 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Voice of Nigeria: government steps up enforcement of the anti-bullying policy (opens in a new tab)
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. The 2025 policy names cyberbullying through harmful online posts as a form of bullying.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (News Central), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- No:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
No online safety regulator that orders removal of bullying content.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media.
- No:
What are the rules on phones at school?
No national rule. States and schools set their own phone rules.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Yes. Cyberstalking, including bullying, threatening or harassing someone online, is a crime under section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, as amended in February 2024.
Legal detail and sources
Critics say section 24 is too vague and has been used against journalists. Source note: this answer relies on legal commentary or other non-official summaries (Mondaq and Techhive Advisory), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. The policy comes with implementation guidelines, and the Federal Ministry of Education runs sensitisation workshops for teachers and students.
Country
South Africa
Each school's code of conduct deals with bullying, harmful online messages are crimes, and a regulator can order harmful content taken down.
Compare with anywhere else Open the full page for South AfricaProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Partly:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Partly. There is no anti-bullying law, but the South African Schools Act (section 8) requires every public school's governing body to adopt a code of conduct for learners, and the Department of Basic Education has bullying prevention guidelines.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. The Department of Basic Education's E-Safety Guidelines and its school safety framework cover cyberbullying.
- Yes:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Yes. The Film and Publication Board can investigate complaints and issue takedown notices for harmful content, including videos showing violence against children.
Legal detail and sources
Films and Publications Act, section 18G. In October 2025 the Board ordered platforms to remove a school bullying video.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media.
- No:
What are the rules on phones at school?
No national rule. Each school sets phone rules in its code of conduct.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Yes. Since 1 December 2021, the Cybercrimes Act makes it a crime to send data messages that incite or threaten violence or share intimate images without consent, and courts can grant interim protection orders.
Legal detail and sources
Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020, sections 14 to 16. Victims can also seek a protection order under the Protection from Harassment Act 2011.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. The Department of Basic Education trains educators on its guidelines for preventing and managing bullying, and public schools have a confidential reporting system linked to the police.
Country
Tanzania
An offence named 'cyber bullying' has been in the Cybercrimes Act since 2015, and phones are restricted in classrooms.
Compare with anywhere else Open the full page for TanzaniaProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- No:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
No. We found no national law that requires schools to adopt anti-bullying rules.
- Partly:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Partly. There are no school rules on online bullying, but section 23 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 makes cyberbullying an offence.
- Partly:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Partly. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority can order prohibited online content removed under the Online Content Regulations (2020, amended 2025), but there is no dedicated route for bullying complaints.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer relies on legal commentary or other non-official summaries (Bowmans), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media.
- Partly:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Partly. The government says phones are already restricted in classrooms, and public secondary schools have long banned them.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (The Citizen), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Yes. Section 23 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 makes it an offence to send an electronic message intended to coerce, intimidate, harass or cause emotional distress.
Legal detail and sources
Critics say the offence has also been used to prosecute online criticism. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (The Citizen) as well as official sources.
- Partly:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Partly. A government online-safety programme has trained facilitators who have reached teachers and more than 1.8 million students, but there is no national anti-bullying training requirement.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Daily News), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
Country
Zambia
A 2025 cybercrime law makes online harassment and humiliation crimes and adds child online protection.
Compare with anywhere else Open the full page for ZambiaProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- No:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
No. We found no national law that requires schools to adopt anti-bullying rules.
- Partly:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Partly. There are no school rules on online bullying, but the Cyber Crimes Act 2025 makes online harassment an offence and includes provisions on child online protection.
Legal detail and sources
- Partly:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Partly. The ICT regulator (ZICTA) has begun using its powers under the Cyber Crimes Act against harmful material online.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (ITWeb Africa), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media.
- No:
What are the rules on phones at school?
No national rule found. Schools set their own phone rules.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Yes. The Cyber Crimes Act 2025 (in force 12 May 2025) makes it a crime to use digital platforms to harass or humiliate someone, or to send messages meant to cause emotional distress.
Legal detail and sources
Sections 22 and 24. The Law Association of Zambia has challenged several provisions in court.
- No:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
No national anti-bullying training requirement found.
Compare at a glance
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| Country | School rules | Online bullying | Takedown help | Age limits | Phones | Criminal law | Staff guidance | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Partly | Partly | Partly | No | Yes | Yes | Partly | 4 of 7 |
| Kenya | Partly | Yes | Partly | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5 of 7 |
| Nigeria | Partly | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | 3.5 of 7 |
| South Africa | Partly | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | 4.5 of 7 |
| Tanzania | No | Partly | Partly | No | Partly | Yes | Partly | 3 of 7 |
| Zambia | No | Partly | Partly | No | No | Yes | No | 2 of 7 |
Clear rule in place Partly, or schools decide Set by national law
Plain-English summaries for educators, checked against official sources on 11 November 2026. This is not legal advice. Open “Legal detail and sources” for the law itself.
Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with credit, under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.