This report examines online child and teenager predation in South Africa from the period of 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025. It seeks to understand perspectives about dating and age-related patterns; teenage pregnancy and intergenerational dating; as well as the perpetuation of child pornography, child fantasy and/or content sexualizing minor children. A new report by the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC) examining online conversations in South Africa has revealed deeply troubling narratives and trends regarding child sexual exploitation, teenage pregnancy, and the normalisation of predatory behavior toward minors on social media platforms. Covering the period from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, the research exposes how child predation is perpetuated, rationalised, and, at times, even endorsed online. Titled “After 12 is Lunch”, a disturbing phrase found during analysis that signals adult sexual interest in underage girls. The report sheds light on the State of Child Predation on South African Social Media to the extent to which statutory rape, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and exploitative dating practices are present in public digital discourse in South Africa. Key Findings: Rampant teenage pregnancy and weak accountability: Over 7,600 pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 were reported in eThekwini alone, with the youngest mother just 10 years old. Many users blamed societal failure and called for automatic statutory rape investigations in all such cases. Alarmingly, others blamed the minors themselves or justified the relationships for financial reasons. Endorsement of predatory relationships: Some social media users openly supported relationships between adult men and minor girls. Phrases like “after 12 is lunch” and cultural arguments were used to excuse or normalise exploitation. A church was also flagged for condoning a marriage between a 55-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman. The marriage is legal, but heavily criticised on ethical grounds. Widespread distribution of CSAM on social media: A handful of accounts on X (formerly Twitter) were responsible for posting and sharing sexually explicit content involving underage children, especially girls in school uniforms. While these posts often received little engagement, they accumulated high view counts, suggesting silent consumption by many users. Racial and cultural polarisation: Instead of unified condemnation, many responses devolved into racial finger-pointing, with some users attempting to portray child predation as a racial issue. This harmful rhetoric risks obscuring the broader systemic problem. Public support for action, but limited solutions: While the public widely welcomed initiatives like the National Sex Offenders Register, the report notes a lack of attention to root causes and prevention, pointing instead to reactive measures like arrests and registries. Call to Action: The report urges social media platforms to do more to remove harmful content and protect minors. It also calls on policymakers, civil society, religious institutions, and communities to take urgent action to shift societal norms, increase reporting and prosecution of statutory rape, and engage in honest national dialogue about how children are perceived and protected in both digital and offline spaces. “We cannot fight what we do not acknowledge,” said the report “The normalisation of predatory behaviour in online conversations is a mirror of a deeper social crisis, one we can no longer ignore,” concludes the report.