Bohlale Mphahlele develops wearable safety technology to protect women and children from gender-based violence and human trafficking.
In 2020, while still a Grade 11 learner at SJ van der Merwe Technical High School in Limpopo, 16-year-old Bohlale Mphahlele designed a device that could quietly save lives. She called it the Alerting Earpiece – a small, wearable earring that can send instant distress signals, share live locations, and capture photos of attackers when its hidden button is pressed.
Her idea was born out of South Africa’s deep crisis of gender-based violence and human trafficking. The country records tens of thousands of sexual offences every year, and countless more go unreported. Instead of accepting that reality, Mphahlele asked what she could build to help. Her goal was to create a discreet device that victims could activate without alerting their attackers – one that could summon help and collect evidence at the time of attack.
The result was a fashionable earpiece that functioned as an emergency system. When pressed, it quietly sends alerts to trusted contacts and law enforcement, transmits the wearer’s GPS location, and automatically takes photos using a hidden camera. Those images, coupled with location data, can help track victims, identify suspects, and strengthen legal cases.
Awards and recognition
Over time, the innovator’s prototype earned her a bronze medal in the engineering-electronics category at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. Her work soon caught national attention, leading to features on BBC Africa, Metro FM, and SABC Morning Live, and public praise from Limpopo’s Education MEC, who described her as a “role model and change-maker.”
Bohlale Mphahlele’s invention, initially a school project, has transformed into a social technology startup. Following high school, she established Mphahlele Alerts (Pty) Ltd to develop and market the Alerting Earpiece more broadly. Her ultimate goal is to integrate the earpiece into a unified system of emergency services and community safety initiatives throughout South Africa.
Bohlale Mphahlele’s innovative device, still under development for commercial release, has already sparked national dialogue on leveraging technology to safeguard women and children. Officials and safety advocates have lauded its practicality and potential, citing it as an example of how local innovation can effectively address societal problems.
Recognised as a leading youth-led safety technology in the country, the concept underscores Mphahlele’s impact beyond her invention. She actively mentors young girls in science and innovation, and through her roles as Science Club President and youth radio presenter, advocates for women in technology and the application of engineering to solve daily challenges.
