Children Spotlight of the Week: Bohlale Mphahlele, The 16-Year-Old Who Turned Fear Into Innovation

In a world often overwhelmed by headlines of violence and despair, a quiet spark from Limpopo, South Africa, has grown into a beacon of hope, reminding us that change can start with one brave young mind.

At just 16 years old, Bohlale Mphahlele refused to be a bystander in South Africa’s devastating gender-based violence crisis. Instead, she became an inventor, changemaker, and now, a young entrepreneur redefining what it means to take action.

Her creation? The Alerting Earpiece, a smart safety device cleverly disguised as an earring. But do not be deceived by its size. Hidden within its elegant design is life-saving technology: with the press of a tiny, concealed button, the device snaps a photo of an attacker, captures the victim’s GPS location, and sends both instantly to trusted contacts and emergency services. All from an earring.

Born from a Crisis and a Question
South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. According to the Human Sciences Research Council, one in three women over the age of 18 has experienced physical violence in her lifetime. Each year, over 120,000 cases of violent crimes against women and children are reported with countless more never reaching the authorities.

In 2020, as a Grade 11 learner, Bohlale came face to face with these grim statistics. But rather than being paralysed by fear, she asked herself a question that would change her life, “What can I do to help?” Then, she answered it.

The Birth of the Alerting Earpiece
Motivated by compassion and curiosity, Bohlale began sketching out her idea for a wearable safety gadget that could act faster than a scream for help. She envisioned something discreet, something that would not alert an aggressor, yet could silently call for rescue.

The result was the Alerting Earpiece, a small but mighty innovation that combined empathy with engineering. Her device immediately captured national attention. Presented at a science expo, it earned a bronze medal, and soon after, local media outlets began to feature the young innovator. The Limpopo MEC for Education hailed her work as a proud moment for the province.

From Idea to Enterprise
Fast forward five years, and that once-high-school project has evolved into a growing mission. Today, Bohlale Mphahlele is the founder and CEO of Mphahlele Alerts (Pty) Ltd, a company dedicated to refining and distributing the Alerting Earpiece to those who need it most, schoolgirls walking home, women working night shifts, and those living in abusive homes.

She’s also pursuing a degree in Information Technology, arming herself with the knowledge to push her innovation even further. At the same time, she’s part of an innovation programme that supports young women solving real-world problems in their communities.

And because true leaders lift others as they rise, Bohlale is now mentoring other girls in tech, encouraging them to dream boldly, build bravely, and believe that they too can make a difference.

A Ripple Effect of Courage
What makes Bohlale’s story extraordinary is not just her invention, it’s her intention. At an age when many teenagers are preoccupied with exams and social media, she chose to face a national crisis with creativity and compassion. Her courage challenges adults and young people alike to rethink what it means to respond rather than just react.

She did not have all the answers. She simply had the heart to start. And sometimes, that’s where all great change begins.

The Legacy She’s Building
As her story resurfaces in 2025, Bohlale stands not just as a reminder of what she achieved, but as a symbol of what’s still possible. Her journey continues from classrooms to laboratories, from prototypes to production lines, all driven by a vision to make South Africa safer, one device at a time.

As we celebrate her in this week’s Children Spotlight, may her story ignite new sparks of creativity, compassion, and courage in every child reading this, because the next big idea that changes the world might just be waiting in another young heart, somewhere nearby.