held its , uniting policymakers, mental health experts, NGOs, and tech leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa to champion community safety and emotional resilience on the platform.

Delegates from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and beyond converged to drive open discussions around online safety, mental health, and digital literacy. The summit emphasized the importance of developing inclusive tools and fostering a balanced digital environment—particularly for young users navigating emotional and mental challenges online.

TikTok unveiled an enhanced suite of digital well-being tools and partnerships, including

Three organizations were named inaugural recipients of the fund’s regional expansion:

These partners will receive funding and direct support from TikTok to produce culturally relevant, evidence-based mental health content aimed at dismantling stigma and encouraging open dialogue in African communities.

” We’re proud to introduce tools that not only support digital well-being but also empower our community—especially young users—with a safe, supportive space to explore and navigate complex emotions,” said , TikTok’s Global Head of Trust and Safety Outreach and Partnerships.

The summit also spotlighted the ongoing success of TikTok’s campaign and introduced a new group of —verified experts from the WHO Fides Network—including:

• Doctor Wales (Nigeria)
• Doctor Siya (South Africa)

South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education, , praised the collaboration, saying, “We commend the private sector’s efforts to foster digital literacy and create a safer online environment for all. Such efforts reflect the government and the private sector’s collective responsibility to inspire creativity, empower communities and connect young people to the digital world.”

, Marketing Director at Spectra, echoed this sentiment: “Our partnership with TikTok reflects a shared vision to create secure, innovative digital environments that prioritize mental health and online safety.”