Every year, between May 29 and June 5, South Africa observes National Child Protection Week.
The 2026 theme, “Working together in ending violence against children”, reminds us as citizens that protecting children is not the work of government, social workers or NGOs alone.
It is the responsibility of all of us. In a country still grappling with violence as a social pandemic, giving voice to the realities facing our most vulnerable children must become everyone’s business: in homes, schools, workplaces, communities and boardrooms.
The need for collective action has never felt more urgent. According to the National Child Protection Register, 8,984 cases of child abuse and 3,258 cases of sexual abuse were recorded in the first three quarters of the 2025/6 financial year. Statutory rape cases increased to 199 in 2025/26, from 127 in the previous financial year.
Behind every statistic is a child whose right to safety and dignity has been violated. But numbers tell only part of the story.
The South African Child Gauge 2025 makes it clear that violence against children is rarely separate from gender-based violence (GBV). It often happens in the same homes and communities, shaped by the same drivers: gender inequality, harmful social norms, trauma and weak institutional responses.
Children are affected both directly, as victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation, and indirectly, by witnessing violence, living with fear, and carrying its emotional and developmental consequences long after the violence ends.
Ray-ann Sedres, head of the Sanlam Foundation, says: “Addressing this challenge requires prevention, and prevention demands that we strengthen the everyday environments where children live, learn and grow — from families and schools to communities and the systems meant to protect them.”
Prevention starts in everyday spaces
The Sanlam Foundation‘s work in communities is rooted in the belief that lasting change is built through sustained investment, trusted partnerships and support for the protective structures already working on the ground.
That is why the Foundation’s community resilience approach is evolving, with a sharper focus on safer school spaces, psychosocial support and partnerships that respond to GBV.
Child protection and GBV cannot be treated as separate issues. When violence enters a home or community, children are affected too, whether as survivors or witnesses.
As trusted community anchors, schools can help identify harm early, connect families to support and strengthen prevention over time.
Prevention is not a single intervention. We must commit to noticing risk early, responding with care, and strengthening the relationships, services and everyday spaces that help children feel safe
— Ray-ann Sedres, head of the Sanlam Foundation
“Prevention is not a single intervention,” says Sedres. “We must commit to noticing risk early, responding with care, and strengthening the relationships, services and everyday spaces that help children feel safe.”
Unicef South Africa and local researchers, through the South African Child Gauge 2025, highlight the importance of embedding violence prevention within the systems that children and families already engage with every day.
These include health services, education, social development, justice systems and broader community life.
The power of partnerships
In practice, this kind of prevention is often built through partnerships.
Last year, the Boland Rugby Union, in partnership with the Sanlam Foundation and the Drakenstein Municipality, led a community-centred initiative aligned with the 16 Days of Activism against GBV campaign, ahead of the 2025 Sanlam Boland Top 12 Final, a premier club rugby competition.
Representatives from the department of social development, Thuthuzela Care Centres and the AHOS Shelter for Abused Women and Children joined the match-day activities to share vital information, resources and pathways to assistance.
Players and officials from the participating clubs also took a public pledge against GBV as a symbolic commitment to respect, accountability and community protection.
Sedres says GBV leaves deep and lasting scars, and children are often caught in its effects.
“If we are serious about child protection, we must also confront GBV wherever it shows up. That means creating trusted spaces where people can speak, communities can respond early, and support is accessible before harm becomes entrenched.”
A shared responsibility
For business, the call is to invest with intention by backing long-term, prevention-focused partnerships with credible community organisations rather than one-off responses.
More broadly, protection starts with paying attention, speaking up and acting early when children are at risk.
Sedres also highlights that protecting children is a daily commitment that calls on families, schools, community leaders, civil society, business and government to work together.
“This Child Protection Week, the Sanlam Foundation reaffirms its commitment to building the partnerships and support systems needed to make safer childhoods possible,” she says.
If you are worried about a child’s safety or if someone needs support, help is available. The department of social development’s 24-hour GBV Command Centre can be reached on 0800 428 428, or by dialling *120*7867# from any mobile device. Childline South Africa is available on 116 via mobile phone and landline.
This article was sponsored by Sanlam.
