South Africa faces many critical challenges, but few are as pervasive and devastating as Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). In a historic move acknowledging the severity of this crisis, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared GBVF a national disaster on Thursday, 20 November 2025, during the closing ceremony of the G20 Social Summit in Ekurhuleni. 

This announcement was formalised the following day when the National Disaster Management Centre classified GBVF as a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act.

The launch of the FemAI Policy Playbook could not have come at a more critical time, says Dr Itai Makone, lead author of the Playbook from Stellenbosch University’s Policy Innovation Lab. She explains that the FemAI South Africa Lab is a collaboration with Women Political Leaders (WPL) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). “This initiative is part of a broader series in selected African countries designed to advance AI-informed policymaking and elevate women leaders. AI can be a powerful resource for advancing national efforts to stop GBV.”

Last year, the South African FemAI In-Country Lab convened political leaders, women entrepreneurs, academics, and civil society organisations to co-create strategies for using artificial intelligence (AI) to address GBV. This process bridged the gap between policy discussions and practical implementation. 

The resulting Playbook captures these insights.

Engagement at the G20 Social Summit

Ahead of the official launch, the Policy Innovation Lab presented the Playbook to members of parliament (MPs) and sector stakeholders at last year’s G20 Social Summit in Johannesburg. This high-level engagement created a space for MPs to critique the Playbook, offer refinements, and reflect on its implications for national policy.

The Playbook received positive feedback, and discussions centred on the practical barriers to implementation, says Prof. Willem Fourie, leading the Policy Innovation Lab. “A recurring theme from the Summit was the urgent need to break down the silos between government departments to ensure data and resources are shared effectively. Furthermore, stakeholders emphasised that policy remains symbolic without financial backing and highlighted the critical need for allocated budgeting to support these technological interventions.”

Official launch and key findings

Following the G20 engagement, the FemAI Policy Playbook was officially launched virtually on 19 November to a broad audience of government officials, academics, CSOs, and the private sector. The launch event presented the Playbook's key findings and practical recommendations for shaping inclusive AI policy in South Africa.

The Playbook emphasises several critical takeaways for policymakers:

• Breaking silos: A coordinated digital ecosystem is essential. The Playbook provides guidance on using AI to integrate data systems across policing, healthcare, and justice so that a survivor’s case can be tracked seamlessly across institutions.
• Data credibility and inclusivity: It stresses the need for training AI models on data that reflects South Africa’s diversity – including rural communities and multiple linguistic groups – to prevent bias and ensure equitable outcomes.
• Capacity building: Effective implementation requires equipping frontline workers, officials, and stakeholders with the skills to use AI tools responsibly, ethically, and confidently.
• Budgeting for implementation: The Playbook links AI innovation to departmental budgeting processes and highlights that without sustained, long-term funding, digital solutions will remain short-term pilots with limited impact.

“As South Africa confronts the newly declared national disaster of GBVF, the FemAI Policy Playbook offers a timely, evidence-based roadmap for using technology, collaboration, and coordinated leadership to drive meaningful change,” concludes Makone.

• The playbook can be downloaded here: https://policyinnovationlab.sun.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/FemAI_Policy-Playbook.pdf