Cybersecurity workshop for learners
Cybersecurity capacity building is often pictured in boardrooms and government ministries. But earlier this month, C3SA took it into the hands of schoolchildren from resource-constrained communities, hosting a cybersecurity awareness workshop at the University of Cape Town’s Upper Campus. Learners came from schools across Nyanga, Langa, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha for a day of digital empowerment and career guidance in cybersecurity. The aim was to help learners recognise the cyber risks they face every day and to equip them with practical cyber hygiene habits to stay safe online.
The initiative reflects the Centre’s commitment to building cyber resilience from the ground up. Alongside its work with nation states and organisations, C3SA is reaching young people who are often among the most exposed online, yet the least likely to receive guidance on staying safe.
The workshop introduced learners to the cybersecurity issues that shape young people’s everyday digital lives. Topics included online safety, cyberbullying, cyber threats and scams, responsible use of social media, and the importance of protecting personal information. To make the learning stick, C3SA blended interactive discussions with music, dance and a lively cyber-awareness poster competition. Winners walked away with branded prizes.
Cybersecurity awareness matters because leaners are connected, but not protected
The evidence for this gap is strong. South African children are overwhelmingly online. The SA Kids Online study by UNICEF and the Department of Social Development found that more than 95% of children use the internet regularly, and 70% do so without parental consent. Yet only 41% had ever received any online safety information. A quarter had added strangers to their contacts, and nearly one in five had sent a photo or video of themselves to someone they had never met.
The consequences can be severe. The Disrupting Harm in South Africa report found that between 7% and 9% of internet-using children aged 12 to 17 had experienced online sexual exploitation and abuse in the past year, including grooming and blackmail. Half of affected children told no one, and fewer than 2% of cases were reported to police or a helpline. Frontline workers pointed to a lack of knowledge about online risks among children and parents as a major reason.
Schools have struggled to fill this gap, and the burden falls hardest on those with the fewest resources. Research has long noted that South Africa’s national school curriculum does not include cyber-safety education, leaving teachers with limited materials and training. A study of educators in resource-constrained South African schools found that the more resource-constrained a school is, the less its educators prioritise cybersecurity. Other studies confirm that cybersecurity awareness efforts are more prevalent in well-resourced and urban settings than in resource-constrained and rural ones. Learners in under-resourced schools therefore face the same online risks as their peers, but with far less support to navigate them.
The event forms part of C3SA’s broader commitment to promoting cybersecurity awareness and digital safety among young people, particularly in communities that face barriers to cybersecurity education and resources. By equipping learners with foundational knowledge and opening their eyes to future careers, C3SA is helping to build a safer, more digitally resilient generation.