What is the challenge

The rapid expansion of digital channels and emerging technologies is transforming how communities connect and access information, but it also introduces profound risks for forcibly displaced and stateless people. Harmful online narratives, hate speech, misinformation, frauds and scams can translate into real-world consequences, eroding trust and destabilising fragile social systems.

In South Africa, the challenge lies in addressing rising online anti-foreigner sentiment to support the implementation of the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. Coordinated anti-foreigner narratives online fuel fear, stigma, and discrimination, undermining social cohesion and threatening community resilience.

In Uganda, online narratives increasingly exacerbate social tensions both within refugee communities and between refugees and host populations. At the same time, the high prevalence of fraud and scams targeting refugees exposes them to significant online and offline risks, including financial exploitation and personal harm. These dynamics deepen exclusion, weaken protection systems, and limit access to essential services, threatening the stability of entire communities.

What is innovative about the project

Most initiatives to counter misinformation focus on debunking harmful narratives after they have already spread. This project takes a preventive approach by strengthening digital resilience before harmful content gains traction. The innovation lies in applying prebunking in humanitarian displacement contexts, where it has seen very limited testing, and adapting it to low-resource environments.

Rather than relying on costly digital campaigns, UNHCR has developed a low-to-no cost, analogue-first solution that addresses digital risks in contexts where access gaps make purely online interventions impractical. The gamified tool, Mzansi Life, is one component within a broader strategy that combines behavioural science, public policy alignment, and cross-sector collaboration.

A central innovation is the ecosystem built around the solution. Through a structured market dialogue, UNHCR convenes government authorities, refugee representatives, digital rights organisations, behavioural science experts, and private sector technology actors. An Advisory Group in South Africa supports user-centred design and alignment with the National Action Plan to Combat Racism.

The project also engages directly with major technology platforms. Google contributed to the initial proof of concept through Jigsaw, and TikTok provides in-kind technical support and advertising credits. UNHCR continues strategic dialogue with technology companies to strengthen digital resilience, navigate evolving content moderation landscapes, and test scalable partnership models in humanitarian settings.

By combining behavioural science, humanitarian protection expertise, institutional integration, and platform partnerships, the project moves beyond a standalone awareness tool. It establishes a scalable framework for strengthening information integrity and digital protection in displacement contexts.

What are the expected outcomes

The project aims to strengthen information integrity by creating a less toxic and more trustworthy online information ecosystem and building resilience to navigate digital spaces confidently. Youth will be equipped to identify reliable information on life-saving services, rights, and opportunities. They will confidently avoid online scams and frauds and recognise adversarial, polarising narratives that promote harmful stereotypes and incite violence. They will engage with more positive content that fosters cohesion. Online conversations will become safe spaces that promote solidarity and peace, reducing the risk of offline conflict.

The project will also support inclusive institutions. Institutions and services accessed by forcibly displaced and stateless persons will actively promote solidarity and inclusion through strengthened digital resilience. For example, teachers and learners will champion prebunking approaches to positively influence online and offline behaviours. Users of these services will feel included and respected, experiencing content and interactions that affirm dignity and belonging.

In promoting refugee solidarity, the project will focus on prebunking adversarial narratives so that refugees feel safe and empowered in online spaces, free from harmful content and negativity. They will confidently participate in digital conversations, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. This will strengthen positive narratives of solidarity and inclusion, reducing public support for restrictive refugee policies by countering fear-based information risks and fostering understanding.

Finally, the project will contribute to safe humanitarian operations. By prebunking misinformation about humanitarian assistance, users will trust and access services without hesitation, confident in the authenticity of information and protected from fake services or rumours.

Who are the project partners

The project is led by UNHCR in collaboration with a range of public, private, and civil society partners.

ALT Advisory, a public interest advisory firm based in South Africa, was identified through a market dialogue process. ALT brings expertise in technology, communications, and digital legal frameworks and has led the consultation and design phase of Mzansi Life. It works closely with digital rights actors, including Media Monitoring Africa (now Moxii), to support technical development and outreach.

In South Africa, the Department of Basic Education South Africa has provided technical support and enabled scale by facilitating access to schools and educational networks.

To successfully scale the prebunking approach in Uganda, it will be essential to follow the same market dialogue model used in South Africa. This means engaging early with potential partners including the government, civil society organisations, and technology providers.

More information on prebunking can be found in UNHCR’s Information Integrity Toolkit here.