Technology seems to be making a difference in the fight against crime as people use cellphones to share information with each other and the police, and show their support for anti-crime initiatives. Andre Snyman, founder of eBlockwatch, says he has lost track of the amount of arrests that have been made as a result of his project. eBlockwatch enables people to interact and provide information on its website, which is then shared with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and community members.

Snyman says that he started the site a decade ago after moving to Johannesburg from Ermelo, and feeling cut off from the community in which he lived. He says he realised that there was no communication in Johannesburg, compared to the “incredible” support base in Ermelo, where everyone knew everyone else.