Country · Africa
South Africa: cyberbullying law for schools
Bottom line for counselors: The law sets some anti-bullying rules but leaves much of the detail to schools, and online bullying is covered. Check your school's own policy. A regulator can order harmful posts taken down. Serious online abuse can be a crime.
Last verified: checked against official sources on 11 November 2026.
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.
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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.
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