South Africa’s Communications Minister, Solly Malatsi, says the government is considering introducing age limits for social media use, amid growing concerns about online harm to children.
Speaking on Cape Talk, Malatsi said young users are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, online abuse, grooming and inappropriate content, making government intervention necessary.
He noted that the scale of digital risks has become too serious to ignore, but warned that simply imposing bans may not solve the problem.
According to him, South Africa is monitoring how countries such as Australia and France are implementing age-gated access to social media platforms. However, he stressed that enforcement remains the biggest challenge.
Without strong verification systems, Malatsi said restrictions could end up as “cosmetic interventions” that look effective on paper but fail in practice.
He cited Australia’s experience, where children reportedly bypass age checks by using other people’s identification, showing how easily such measures can be defeated.
“There is no perfect global solution,” the minister said, adding that policies must be realistic and enforceable.
Digital law expert Emma Sadleir also supports age-gating in principle but doubts it would work locally. She explained that many social media companies do not have a physical presence in South Africa, making regulation and enforcement difficult.
Sadleir noted that unless the government is willing to block platforms entirely, which she considers unlikely, enforcing age limits may prove ineffective — even as harmful content continues to reach young users.
