SafeClub
Approved, not open sign-up
There's no public sign-up form. Every account starts with an invitation our team approved.
A digital sisterhood · Controlled pilot in South Africa
What womxn know about a place should change the place.
SafeClub is a digital sisterhood for public spaces and nightlife. Womxn share how places feel, by day and by night. Those experiences help the next sister choose — and, handled responsibly, they help venues and the institutions responsible for public spaces see what needs to change.
Womxn shouldn't have to carry the whole job of navigating unsafe spaces alone.
- Approved members only
- Privacy by default
- Built in Johannesburg
The SafeClub model
Safety is bigger than one person. So is the solution.
Womxn experience public and nightlife spaces every day. Those experiences hold knowledge about how spaces are used, where concerns arise and what makes people feel welcome or excluded.
SafeClub creates a structured way for community experiences to inform conversations with venues and, where appropriate, relevant institutions. With responsible verification, privacy safeguards and aggregated insights, experiences can contribute to a wider understanding of safety and accountability.
The goal is to move beyond asking individual womxn to make better safety decisions in isolation — towards a system in which communities share knowledge and the right stakeholders learn from recurring patterns.
1Womxn share experiences
3Relevant feedback reaches spaces and venues
5Aggregated insights inform institutions
6Responses come back to the community
How information can move
Womxn and the Digital Sisterhood
- Community experiences
- Ratings and feedback
- Reports about public spaces and nightlife
- Positive experiences as well as concerns
- Safety decisions informed by other womxn
SafeClub in the middle
- Moderation of posts, reviews and reports
- Anonymous by default where identity isn't needed
- Feedback organised by place, not by person
- Patterns only ever shared in aggregate
Spaces and venues
- Public spaces: streets, parks, taxi ranks and shopping centres
- Nightlife venues: clubs and other places people socialise
- Venue responses to community feedback
- Chances to improve safety practices and accountability
Institutions and government
- Relevant public institutions
- Local government and relevant departments
- Appropriate safety and research stakeholders
- Aggregated community safety intelligence to inform decisions
Institutions would never receive individual reports — only aggregated, anonymised patterns, for a defined purpose. SafeClub is not connected to SAPS, government databases, venue systems or emergency services.
Experiences are valuable. Personal information is not a commodity.
Information on SafeClub sits in one of three layers, and each has its own rules. Sharing is purpose-specific, privacy-conscious and governed by consent, access controls and safeguards.
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Layer 1 · Kept private
Individual experiences and personal information
Your email, your journal, your location during a trip, and who wrote what.
Who sees it: you, the people you pick for a trip, and SafeClub only where it must, such as for moderation.
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Layer 2 · Shared under clear rules
Community feedback about a space
Ratings and reviews of a place, anonymous by default. A club's low reviews are sent to that club by SafeClub staff.
Who sees it: other members, and the venue, for feedback about itself.
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Layer 3 · Aggregated and anonymised Planned
Patterns across many experiences
Recurring themes about places and times, with nothing that identifies a person.
Who could see it: appropriate institutions, for a defined purpose. Nothing is shared, licensed or sold to institutions today.
How it works
Three steps. One hand. No guesswork.
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1
Get an invite from SafeClub
SafeClub is onboarding participants through a controlled pilot. Request an invitation online or connect with us through our community and institutional partners. Once approved, you will receive access to the platform.
Request an invite -
2
Connect with the Digital Sisterhood
Discover how other womxn experience the public spaces and nightlife venues around them. Explore community feedback, share your own experiences and create a space when one is missing. Follow venue responses and updates through SafeClub, so community concerns contribute to accountability instead of disappearing into a feed.
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3
One Sisterhood. Two Modes.
SafeClub adapts to the spaces womxn move through by day and by night, following your phone's clock.
Day Mode 06:00–18:00
Explore and document everyday public spaces: streets, parks, shopping centres, taxi ranks and commuting routes.
Night Mode 18:00–06:00
Explore nightlife venues, learn from community experiences, share venue feedback and support accountability around going out.
How the pilot works
A controlled pilot, so trust comes first.
A space for womxn only works if you can trust who is in it. During the pilot, SafeClub onboards approved participants only. You can request an invitation online, or reach us through one of our community and institutional partners. Requesting is not signing up: our team reviews each request, and only approved email addresses can sign in.
The pilot is where we learn. It is building a body of community knowledge — it has not yet established safety outcomes, and it is not connected to any institution's systems.
200
womxn in our first pilot
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Request an invitation
Online, below, or through a community or institutional partner. No ID number, no student card — just the email address you'll sign in with.
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If approved, receive access
We register your email. Install SafeClub, enter it and type in the code we send. You read and agree to what SafeClub can and can't do, and what it keeps about you.
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Explore Day Mode and Night Mode
Everyday public spaces from 06:00, nightlife from 18:00. The app follows your phone's clock.
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Contribute experiences and feedback
Rate places, keep a private journal, post to the sisterhood, or add a space that's missing.
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Help build community knowledge
A growing record that can inform accountability and future improvements to the spaces womxn use.
Only what's needed
Your email to sign in, the name you choose, and your number only if you add it.
One phone at a time
Signing in on a new phone signs the old one out, so an account can't be passed around.
Community ratings
See a space through the eyes of the womxn who use it.
Every place on SafeClub builds a profile from members' experiences — what helped, what made it harder, and whether the venue has answered. It helps you compare your options. It is a community's perception, never a guarantee of safety.
Demo Nightlife Venue
Club · Night Mode · fictional
4.1/ 5
Most members said they felt at ease here
From 32 demonstration responses
- Lighting
- 4.3
- Staff response
- 3.6
- Exit accessibility
- 4.0
- Overall safety
- 4.1
What members mentioned
- Staff checked in 14
- Well-lit ride point 11
- Easy to leave 9
- Crowding at the bar 7
- Slow reply to a complaint 4
"Security walked us to our ride without being asked."
"After midnight it was packed and hard to find staff."
The venue's response
"Thank you for the feedback. We've added two staff at the bar after 23:00 and a staffed ride point at the exit."
- Low reviews sent to the venueby SafeClub staff
- Venue respondedshown on its profile
- Follow-upnew experiences reviewed against the response
In the app Clubs' low reviews go to the club, and its answer appears on its profile. The follow-up review is Planned.
Demo Public Space
Park · Day Mode · fictional
3.6/ 5
Mostly at ease by day, less so when it gets quiet
From 24 demonstration responses
- Very safe
- 5
- Safe
- 9
- Not sure
- 6
- Unsafe
- 3
- Very unsafe
- 1
How members said they felt, from shared journal entries
What helped, and what made it harder
- Lots of people around 15
- Daylight or good lighting 12
- Something on, like a match 6
- When it gets quiet 9
- Being on my own 6
"Busy and friendly at lunchtime. I sat and read for an hour."
"The far path by the fence empties out after four. I'd keep to the main entrance."
The space's response
"We've asked for the lights on the far path to be checked, and for a patrol after 16:00."
- Pattern noticed"quiet after 16:00" in 9 of 24 responses
- Shared with the space's managersas an aggregated pattern
- Under reviewstatus updated when there's news
Planned Parks, streets and taxi ranks have no response process yet: this shows how one could work.
Everything in one app
A safety ecosystem, not a panic button
- In the appbuilt and in the pilot
- Demofictional data, to show how it looks
- Plannednot built yet
Day Mode · 06:00–18:00 In the app
Explore, create and document everyday spaces
Streets and pedestrian routes, parks, shopping centres, taxi ranks and commuting areas. Add a place that's missing, keep a private journal of how it felt, and share it anonymously if you choose.
Night Mode · 18:00–06:00 In the app
Know the venue before you go
Discover nightlife venues, see how womxn rated them, read their experiences, and check whether a venue has responded to feedback — before you decide where to spend the night.
Safe Map In the app Demo markers
One map for the places you go, day and night
Public spaces, nightlife venues and community observations, together. Every pin is anonymous and attached to a public place, never to anyone's location. These markers are fictional — not live intelligence, and not real crime hotspots.
Choose a marker to see what members observed.
Pattern (demo): quieter after 16:00
Pattern (demo): busier after 01:00
Demo mapCommunity safety intelligence
From one experience to a pattern worth acting on
Over time, many experiences — reviewed, and with privacy safeguards — can show recurring patterns. The purpose is to help communities and institutions understand what keeps happening, never to turn unverified reports into accusations.
- ExperienceIn the app
- ReviewIn the app
- PatternPlanned
- Aggregated insightPlanned
- Relevant stakeholderPlanned
Digital Sisterhood In the app Demo posts
A community, not a stream of alerts
Everyday posts, Safety Influencer content, good days out, nightlife recommendations and serious conversations — post as yourself or as Anonymous Sister. Venue responses in the feed are Planned; today they're on the venue's profile.
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AK
Ayesha K. Day · Community
Anyone know if the library café is open on Saturdays? Need a quiet spot to study 📚
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ZD
Zinhle D. Safety Influencer Night
My going-out ritual: charged phone, ride home booked, group chat alive. Then we dance 🪩
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NM
Naledi M. Day · Public space
Walked through the park at lunch — busy, families everywhere, felt really good.
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TS
Thandi S. Night · Recommendation
The rooftop spot staff asked if we were okay when a guy wouldn't leave us alone. Going back.
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Anonymous Sister Night · Safety discussion
How do you handle being followed out of a venue? Sharing what's worked for me, and I'd like to hear yours.
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Demo Nightlife Venue Venue response Night
We've added a staffed ride point at the exit after your feedback.
- Demo posts · fictional members, made to show SafeClub
SafeClub accessibility
Built for different bodies and different needs
Not every disability is visible, and no two womxn need the same thing. In the app today: dark text on buttons, stronger vibration and a flashing screen for urgent alerts, spoken route guidance, a simpler Night Mode with bigger buttons, and a longer bathroom timer.
Accessibility of a place Planned Demo
- Step-free entrance4 members say yes
- Lift or ramp to every floorNot known yet
- Accessible route from the drop-off2 members say yes
- Accessible toilet1 member says no
Contributed by members and improved over time. No venue has been audited or verified.
Privacy and trust In the app
Careful with what's sensitive
- Controlled pilot access: only approved email addresses can sign in
- Anonymous Mode hides your name on every post, comment and review
- Your journal is private unless you choose to share an entry
- Reports of harm are always anonymous to other members
- Your location is shared only during a trip, only with people you pick
Also in the app
On My Way
Your people see you get there, and you can say "I'm safe" in one tap. On a night out it goes dark and quiet, with a bathroom timer and "need an exit".
Fake Call & Discreet SOS
A convincing incoming call when you need a reason to step away, and a discreet alert to your own emergency contacts.
Anon Tips
Report harassment, spiking or an unsafe venue privately. Tips are always anonymous and go to moderators, not to a public wall.
Safety Hub
Rate places on four fixed criteria and flag rides by registration. Structured signals you can compare — never a driver's name.
Research · 101 Voices
101 Voices. One shared question: what would help us navigate spaces more safely?
Before building SafeClub, we asked 101 respondents about their experiences, their safety concerns and the features they wanted from a safety-focused platform.
101
responses
Respondents told us a safety-focused platform was relevant to their daily lives, and their suggestions shaped what we chose to build: ratings of places from womxn's own experiences, sharing a trip with trusted people, and a community to talk in.
Explore their suggestionsAge of respondents
101 responses
Most respondents were aged 18–24. The sample does not represent all womxn in South Africa.
Findings from a survey of 101 respondents conducted before SafeClub's development. These results reflect the views of this sample and should not be interpreted as nationally representative or as evidence of demonstrated safety outcomes.
Suggestions shared by respondents
What womxn asked for
In their own words. A suggestion here is not a promise that it has been, or will be, built.
Read every suggestion
Emergency Help and SOS
- “Panic button”
- “Emergency help button. direct contact to police”
- “SOS button, immediate response help”
- “An emergency button to alert loved ones or armed response about potential danger a person could be in.”
- “24 hr Emergency contacts when safety is jeopardized”
- “The app should have multiple emergency contact numbers (different individuals) in order for each and every one of them to receive an alert”
- “A panic button that alerts your emergency contacts when you don’t feel safe.”
Location Sharing and Trusted Contacts
- “I need to be able to send my location from the app to my loved ones.”
- “A feature telling everyone you home safe.”
- “Location with friends”
- “Real-time Location Sharing: Allows users to share their live location with selected contacts.”
- “Hourly check in alerts with panic button caller in case of no response”
- “Safe Walk: Friends/family can track your route home in real-time until you confirm safety.”
Community Ratings and Venue Accountability
- “I would like to have a option to review the comments about clubs around me. And getting top rated cluns reviews.”
- “A rating of places based on how women & queer people perceive their safety to help decide where to go in the first instance”
- “reviews from women and queer people who’ve visited a club i’d like to go to as well.”
- “A ‘HotSpot’ for crime or incidents alert when logging a club or spot to go to”
- “A feature that rates clubs, so women & queer people can see which clubs are safer”
- “a way to tell if your drink has been tampered with”
Data Access and Connectivity
- “Should be accessible even you dataless”
- “An offline feature, have the app operating offline for those who don’t have data”
- “It has to be able to work without WiFi or any Internet connection in order for women to press the emergency button any time, anywhere”
- “It would be great if it had no charges, and if it didn’t require data or WiFi to be used.”
Accessibility and Inclusion
- “Features that will make queer people and women feel included or belonging”
- “A way to create a safe environment for woman and the queer.”
- “reviews on diversity of staff would be great.”
- “What to do , help etc”
Communication and Community
- “A chat forum for real time engagement to build sense of community”
- “Having a chat forum where we’re able to talk about our encounters, basically showing that we’re not alone in what happens”
- “Support for woman and #justiceforcwecwe”
- “Safety tips when you tell it which club youre going to”
Recording and Evidence
- “the recording button and panic mode”
- “GPS and location share, sound pickups that are recorded and shared to selected people”
- “The app recording when the are unusual activities for evidence”
- “A feature that allows one to take a picture of the driver and post it to ensure more safety and awareness just in case something happens”
Positive Feedback
- “I'm personally already severely impressed with the one's mentioned and current have no recommendations”
- “I’m happy”
- “Satisfied with current features”
- “I like the features mentioned for now”
- “everything that was mentioned is enough”
Privacy by default. Safety by design.
You should never have to choose between being safe and being private.
For every feature we ask one question: does she need to be publicly identifiable for this to work? If not, SafeClub keeps her identity off the screen — automatically.
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Anonymous Mode, everywhere
One switch hides your name, username and photo on every post, comment and review — including the ones you made before you turned it on.
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Sensitive reports are always protected
Anon Tips, Safe Map pins and reports of harm are anonymous whatever your settings. You can't accidentally put your name on one.
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No trail back to your door
Pins show a public place and the hour, not the minute. On My Way shares only what you switch on, and only with the people you pick.
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A cover if you need one
Incognito mode makes SafeClub look like a working calculator on your phone until you hold the display to come back in.
Safety Influencers
Trusted voices, chosen by the community — and accountable to it.
Sisters nominate the people whose safety advice they rely on. SafeClub reviews eligibility, and nobody becomes an NSI without saying yes.
Once they are, you can say whether each post meets the standard. A pattern of concern leads to a fair review by SafeClub — never an automatic removal by vote.
Straight talk
What SafeClub is — and what it isn't
SafeClub is
- A preventative safety tool
- A community-powered safety platform
- A source of community safety signals
- A way to plan more safely with trusted people
- A way for experiences to inform venue accountability
SafeClub is not
- An emergency response service
- A replacement for the police or medical services
- A guarantee that a venue or ride is safe
- Proof that anyone committed a crime
- Connected to SAPS, government databases or venue systems
In immediate danger? Call 10111 (South African Police Service) or your local emergency service. Technology can fail and people may not respond in time — don't depend on any app alone.
Call 10111Questions
Frequently asked
Who can join SafeClub?
SafeClub is a space for womxn. During the pilot, access is controlled: you request an invitation online or through one of our community and institutional partners, our team reviews it, and if it's approved we register your email address. You sign in with a one-time code sent to it. The full safety and community features are for users aged 18 and older.
Why don't you ask for my ID or student card?
Because we don't need it. Our team approving your invitation is the check, so the only thing we keep to sign you in is your email address — stored encrypted and never shown to other members. Less information held means less that could ever leak.
Why can I only use SafeClub on one phone?
So your account stays yours. If you sign in on a new phone, the old one is signed out the next time it connects. That keeps an account from being handed to someone we never approved. If you're signed out and it wasn't you, sign back in and tell us.
Can other people see that I reported something?
No. Anonymous tips, Safe Map pins and sensitive reports are always anonymous to other users. SafeClub keeps enough to moderate abuse of the system, and nothing more.
Why don't reviews show a driver's name?
A name tied to an allegation is personal information about someone who can't respond. SafeClub shows the registration and structured flags — useful to you, fair to everyone, and never presented as a finding of guilt.
Does On My Way call the police?
No. On My Way and Discreet SOS alert the trusted people you chose. They do not dispatch emergency services. If you are in danger, call 10111.
Who sees my location?
Only the accountable sisters and contacts you pick for a trip, only what you switch on, and only while On My Way is running. Nothing from On My Way is posted publicly.
Does SafeClub share my information with government or institutions?
No — nothing is shared with, licensed or sold to institutions today. The intention is that, in future, appropriate institutions could see aggregated, anonymised patterns for a defined purpose — never individual reports or anything that identifies you, and only under clear, published rules.
Is SafeClub free?
Yes, for pilot members. Some posts in the feed may be sponsored, and they are always labelled.
The SafeClub blog
Safety know-how, straight from the sisterhood
Practical guides for getting around safely, plain-language explainers on how SafeClub protects your privacy, and notes on what we're building and why. Written without the jargon.
Research & Commentary
Mail & Guardian Thought Leader
Nine dead women later and we’re still managing symptoms
South Africa has plans, frameworks, summits and speeches on gender-based violence. But are our responses transforming the conditions that keep reproducing violence, or are we still managing the symptoms? In this article, Sipho Mackenzie examines why GBV requires us to confront the deeper systems connecting institutions, economic life, social norms and accountability.
Read on Mail & Guardian (opens in a new tab) Safety guideFive things to do before a night out
Two minutes of planning that make the rest of the night easier to get home from.
PrivacyPrivacy by default: how Anonymous Mode protects you
What other people can see of you on SafeClub — and what they never can.
Help shape SafeClub
What would make your days and nights safer?
SafeClub is built with the womxn who use it. Tell us the feature you wish existed — the one you'd have wanted on your way home last week.
- Every suggestion is read by the team
- The most requested ideas shape what we build next
Controlled pilot · Johannesburg
Be one of the first 200.
SafeClub is onboarding approved participants during its pilot. Request an invitation here, or through one of our community and institutional partners. A request doesn't create an account: our team reviews each one, and if yours is approved we'll email you how to sign in. Running a society, a residence, an organisation or a venue and want your people included? We'd love to hear from you.
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