South Africa
Scalable, sustainable healthcare for girls
Tiko launched in South Africa in 2023 to respond to the growing health and wellbeing crises facing young people, especially adolescent girls.
The challenge
An urgent, interconnected crisis
Adolescents make up 16% of South Africa’s population but face a disproportionate and interconnected health crisis. Girls aged 10-24 are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, unintended pregnancy and HIV. This Triple Threat is one of the biggest drivers of ill health, lost education and intergenerational poverty among girls.
136
sexual violence cases per day were reported in 2025
70
%
pregnancies among 15-24 year old girls are unplanned
7
%
HIV prevalence among girls aged 15–24
Fragmented, unaffordable and non-youth friendly health services, along with mental health and stigma, prevent girls from seeking vital support. The withdrawal of large-scale, traditional donor funding in 2025 has also put huge strain on South Africa’s public health system, disrupting many of the services girls rely on.
The solution
A reset for girls’ healthcare
The pressing need for integrated healthcare services designed for girls and the shifting funding environment, call for an urgent reset in how healthcare in South Africa is financed and delivered. This is a key moment for public and private sectors, community organizations and Tiko to work together to deliver new, sustainable and resilient healthcare approaches.
Sustainable, girl-centred health service delivery
Tiko’s proven ecosystem model harnesses technology and grassroots partnerships to connect girls to free, high-quality family planning, HIV and sexual violence support services and products.
Aligned with government structures, we partner with community-based organizations, local clinics and retailers to ensure girls can access a full range of high-quality services suited to their specific needs.
Strategic shift
In South Africa, Tiko is moving the dial on girls’ health from fragmented, donor-led service provision to an integrated, outcome-based ecosystem, co-financed by government, funders and private partners.
Explore our ecosystem approach
Tiko connects girls to a no-cost, integrated ecosystem of healthcare and support, designed around their lives. The ecosystem consists of peer mobilisers, community-based organizations, health providers and retailers who are all plugged into the Tiko platform to give girls access to family planning, HIV prevention and treatment, sexual violence screening and support, and health products.
Where we work
Scaling reach and impact
We currently operate in four districts of Gauteng Province. We aim to expand our model into 2 more priority provinces including North West and Kwazulu Natal. Expansion will be piloted district by district, prioritising underserved areas with high levels of unintended pregnancy and new HIV infections among young people.
Impact
Our impact in numbers in 2025
103,062
adolescent lives impacted
32,199
contraceptive services accessed
146,312
health and wellbeing care services delivered
94,779
HIV services delivered
By 2030, we aim to support
300,000
girls per year in South Africa
Girls’ stories
Be inspired by stories of change
From mobiliser to clinic staff
When young women gain skills, trust and opportunity, they rise.
Read More
Sheron’s Voice : dedicated champions empowering girls in South Africa with access to vital healthcare services
Sheron, a mobiliser at Barcelona Clinic in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni is a healthcare champion connecting young people to vital sexual and…
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Nontokozo’s voice: resilience in Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa – Nontokozo grew up in Langaville, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, in a traditional family where consulting…
Read MoreRead our evidence briefings
Boosting equitable contraceptive uptake among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Addis Ababa: Insights from an evaluation of Tiko’s SRH programme
Since January 2022, Tiko, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), has worked to increase access to high-quality, youth-friendly family planning services by adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15–24 across 11 sub-cities of Addis Ababa
Enhancing Access to Integrated Health Services by Adolescents and Young People through the Tiko Platform
Adolescents and young people (AYP) aged 15-24 in Uganda face significant barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV, and mental health (MH) services due to social stigma, limited service integration, and economic challenges
Impact of the Tiko Platform on Tiko-Integrated and Non-Integrated Facilities: The case of Kampala, Uganda
The Tiko Platform is revolutionizing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery by integrating digital tools that enhance accessibility, streamline data management, and improve service delivery.
Read our insights
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A promising blueprint for maternal and child health
Breaking the cycle – how group antenatal care is transforming adolescent girls’ and child health in Kenya
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Ten things we can learn about the role of AI in revolutionising community-centred public health reforms
Key takeaways from our all-women panel discussion ‘From Promise to Dignity: Powering Human-Centred Care with AI’ hosted by Tiko at the 2025 Global Digital Health Forum
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Standing with girls against sexual and gender-based violence
Violence forces girls out of school, fuels unintended pregnancies and increases vulnerability to HIV. Why addressing SGBV is a key pillar of tackling the triple threat.
Contact our South Africa team
