South African women are using this app to successfully convict abusers

An app on your cellphone could advance justice in South Africa’s courts. That’s according to Onele Nobongoza, who is leading a generation of tech-driven activists against gender-based violence – one of the country’s most prevalent, yet underreported crimes. “Just one in every nine cases of sexual abuse makes it to the police station,” Nobongoza says. These are just the numbers on record. The biggest barriers for victims are fear of intimidation, stigma and the lack of information on how to report. Even the minute figure of those that translate into dockets eventually get thrown out of court citing insufficient evidence. To remedy this loophole, Nobongoza joined forces with Kwanele App, an anti-GBV start-up leveraging mobile technology to protect women wherever they are – be it behind closed doors or in the streets. Working hand-in-hand with law enforcement, the Kwanele team prioritises parts of the country where abuse is rife. “We go to the youth to educate them about gender-based violence, and the youth can inform others in their community and family members,” Nobongoza says.  

The 20-year-old activist is at the heart of this innovation as people first connect with her on their mobile devices. “As a field worker, my role is to educate and guide victims on reporting procedures,” Nobongoza says. Once users have installed the app, they gain access to vital features in times of crisis, which enables them to instantly gather audio and visual evidence which is crucial for convictions. Within the communities, she teaches people how to use the app without endangering their lives against perpetrators. These stealthy methods include shaking your phone or tapping the alert button which first pins your location and alarms Kwanele and the police. But how effective is this innovation?

“Since the app went live, we have finalised over 95% of protection orders and all cases we worked on ended in convictions,” Nobongoza says. The early success of the recently-launched app proves the force of youth such as Nobongoza as leaders. By utilising the skills and resources at their disposal, they're restoring people's faith in justice. “I'm helping women gather evidence and raise their voices against gender-based violence,” Nobongoza says. “We deserve to be heard.”