TikTok expands mental well-being tools, partnerships to Africa
TikTok announced a new suite of mental well-being tools and partnerships for sub-Saharan Africa at its inaugural Digital Well-being Summit in Johannesburg on Thursday, 26 June 2025.
From left: Keagile Makgoba, head of communication, sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok and Duduzile Mkhize, outreach and partnership manager, SSA, TikTok. Image credit: TikTok
These include the expansion of the mental health fund and local in-app helplines, as well as a meditation feature for all TikTok users.
Open dialogue around mental health
TikTok is expanding its $2.3m global Mental Health Education Fund to include organisations from sub-Saharan Africa for the first time.
With this expansion, three sub-Saharan African organisations have been selected as the inaugural regional recipients, including the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag), Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative and Kenya’s Mental360.
These organisations will receive funding and platform support to develop locally relevant, evidence-based content that raises awareness, reduces stigma and encourages open dialogue around mental health in African communities.
TikTok created the Mental Health Education Fund in 2023 to support organisations in creating authoritative, engaging and uplifting mental health content.
Expanding in-app helpline resources
TikTok is also expanding in-app helpline resources across Africa. In the coming weeks, users in some countries in Africa will have access to local helplines in-app that provide expert support when reporting content related to suicide, self-harm, hate and harassment.
This feature builds on existing capabilities that direct users to mental health resources when they report bullying and harassment, strengthening access to timely and relevant support on the platform.
These partners can offer assistance, including counselling, advice, free psychological support, and other essential services to those in need.
While TikTok reviews reported content and removes violations of community guidelines, users can connect with these partner organisations to receive personal support, should they need it.
Mental health ambassadors
As part of its ongoing partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), TikTok has also officially introduced its new mental health ambassadors, a diverse group of verified healthcare professionals from the WHO Fides Network.
TikTok has also officially introduced its new mental health ambassadors: Sanam Naran, Dr Claire Kinuthia, Doctor Wales and Doctor Siya. Image credit: TikTok
The inaugural cohort of mental health ambassadors includes:
- Sanam Naran (South Africa)
- Dr Claire Kinuthia (Kenya)
- Doctor Wales (Nigeria)
- Doctor Siya (South Africa)
In-app meditation to our entire community
Additionally, TikTok has introduced a guided meditation experience in Sleep Hours – an in-app well-being feature automatically enabled at 10 p.m. for all users under the age of 18. Anyone above this age can choose to turn it on.
This feature was piloted in March 2025 and is available worldwide.
Research shows that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality, helping young users wind down and build healthier night-time routines.
The introduction of this tool reinforces TikTok’s mission to support digital well-being by fostering better sleep hygiene and emotional regulation, particularly for teens and adolescents navigating the pressures of a hyper-connected world.