WhatsApp took up the biggest share of children’s app time in South Africa during the first eight months of 2026, according to cybersecurity company Kaspersky. The company also warned parents about grooming, cyberbullying and new risks linked to artificial intelligence.
Kaspersky said WhatsApp made up 33.8% of the time children spent on the 10 most popular mobile apps. YouTube followed at 26.8%, TikTok at 7.8% and Instagram at 6.8%.
“Parents should encourage children not to interact with strangers, share personal photos or sensitive information, or keep online conversations secret,” said Andrey Sidenko, Kaspersky’s head of child online safety.
The figures come from anonymised data of Kaspersky Safe Kids users on Android devices and desktop computers. The company said the data should not be read as a picture of all South African children.
Children also used gaming and chat platforms such as Roblox, Steam and Discord, Kaspersky said.
Kaspersky said apps that let children talk directly to others can expose them to strangers. These people may lie and manipulate children to win their trust. They may try to get personal photos or videos, set up meetings, blackmail children or pull them into illegal activities.
Sidenko said criminals could pretend to be other children. He said they could also use details that children had posted on social media to gain their trust.
Kaspersky also warned that photos and videos shared online could be changed with generative AI. The company said they could be used to make fake content or deepfakes that harm a child’s privacy, safety or reputation.
The warning comes as Childline South Africa reports more cyberbullying cases. Childline’s Bhavna Lutchman said the organisation received 105 calls about cyberbullying in its last financial year. She said this was a 7.14% increase on the year before.
“The shift is clear: cyberbullying is no longer just text-based. It has become highly visual and viral,” Lutchman said.
She said common complaints included pictures or videos recorded or shared without consent. Children also reported nasty rumours spread about them online.
Childline said it had received reports about an Instagram and WhatsApp account that allegedly exposed the private details of minors. The account also allegedly spread sexual rumours and shared inappropriate material. Childline said it reported the account to Instagram and sent the matter to the police’s Serial and Electronic Crimes Unit.
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has called sextortion a form of online child sexual abuse affecting South Africa. The FPB welcomed the arrest of a South African suspect allegedly linked to an international sextortion syndicate.
The FPB said sextortion can involve threats to share intimate material unless victims give in to demands. It urged parents and children to report harmful online content.
Lutchman said parents should look out for changes in behaviour. These include a child withdrawing, being secretive about devices, sleeping badly or becoming very upset after using a phone.
She said schools also had a part to play. Online abuse often follows children into classrooms and affects their attendance, concentration and relationships, she said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.