With millions of Africans using TikTok every day to entertain, educate, and inspire, we’re excited to announce the launch of our first-ever Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Safety Advisory Council. This is a big deal for us—it’s the first time a tech platform in the region has put together something like this, and it’s all about making sure TikTok stays a safe and welcoming space for everyone.

Since 2020, we’ve been building a network of Safety Advisory Councils around the world, including nine regional councils and a US Content Advisory Council. These groups bring together experts from all sorts of backgrounds—youth safety, free expression, hate speech, you name it. Their insights have been invaluable in helping us shape our policies, refine our product features, and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to safety challenges.

Now, with the launch of our Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council, we’re taking this commitment even further, bringing together independent experts from across the region to work closely with us on developing policies and processes that tackle today’s safety concerns and anticipate the challenges of tomorrow. Bringing in these diverse perspectives is key to our mission of keeping TikTok a safe, positive environment for our community.

The Members of TikTok’s Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council are:

  • Prof Guy Berger, Rhodes University (South Africa)
  • Dennis Coffie, Content creator (Ghana)
  • Peter Cunliffe-Jones, University of Westminster Visiting Research Fellow (UK)
  • Aisha Dabo, Co-Founder and coordinator of AfricTivistes (Senegal)
  • Lillian Kariuki, Founder and Executive Director of Watoto Watch Network (Kenya)
  • Dr Akinola Olojo, Expert on preventing and countering violent extremism (Nigeria)
  • Prof Medhane Tadesse, Policy academic on peace and security issues (Ethiopia)
  • Berhan Taye, Independent Researcher (Ethiopia)


"With the launch of the Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council, we are demonstrating our commitment to including expert African voices in our Trust and Safety work. This group of leaders was chosen for their broad range of expertise and experience, and we look forward to working with them over the coming years." - Valiant Richey, Global Head of Outreach and Partnerships, Trust and Safety, TikTok

We hope that through thought-provoking conversations and candid feedback, we will find productive ways to support platform integrity and protect the interests of our community.

You can read more about the work of our Safety Advisory Councils on our Transparency Centre.

A word from the Safety Advisory Council Members: 

Aisha Dabo, Co-Founder and coordinator of AfricTivistes (Senegal)

"I am pleased to be part of the new Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council for TikTok, working alongside inspiring individuals from across the continent to contribute to making the internet a safer and more inclusive space for Africa. Establishing this council is a positive step, incorporating regular consultations with civil society while considering our diverse perspectives. I look forward to contributing to this proactive effort to make the platform safer for creators and users, especially the youth."

Peter Cunliffe-Jones, University of Westminster Visiting Research Fellow (UK)

"I am pleased to be part of this new Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council for TikTok. It is great that TikTok has learned from the experiences of other platforms and is putting into place regional advisory councils so early in its lifetime. Over many years in fact-checking and education, my work has focused on both countering harmful misinformation and protecting freedom of speech. I look forward to working with the team, and my colleagues on the council, on their approach to safety and freedom of speech on such an important and exciting platform."

Dr Akinola Olojo, Expert on preventing and countering violent extremism (Nigeria)

“As a region with the highest youth population in the world, Sub-Saharan Africa is a big deal when it comes to TikTok’s mission aimed at inspiring creativity on a large scale. By establishing a Safety Advisory Council for Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok is offering expression to the region’s talent and resourcefulness but also prioritising a safe and dignified environment for creators and users on its online platform. Serving on this council means being part of a team and community that is invested in TikTok’s mission and I’m looking forward to this experience.”