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One of the world’s top social and behavioural change programmes

The Soul City Institute for Health & Development Communication, an organisation not for gain, is proud to be considered one of the world’s most influential social and behavioural change programmes. To this end, we’re chiefly focused on sharing information and affecting social norms, attitudes and practice for the better.

Origins

Established in 1992, when South Africa was on the brink of democratic change, Soul City has remained a health promotion organisation, subscribing to the principles of the World Health Organisation’s Ottawa Charter. According to the charter, health is a product of a range of actions that include building an enabling environment, advocacy for health public policy, community action, developing personal skills and re-orientating the health services towards the health promotion approach.

Focus areas

We care deeply about achieving real, measurable social change for individuals and communities in South Africa, Southern Africa and Africa, particularly as far as HIV prevention and violence reduction via alcohol control are concerned. This is why our interventions are based on communication, advocacy and social mobilisation.

Programmes

In South Africa, we achieve our change via the following branded programmes:

  • The multi-award-winning Soul City, our most established and most famous brand
  • The internationally acclaimed Soul Buddyz, a popular social brand for children as well as, Buddyz on the Move
  • Kwanda, a world-first real-life TV show based on the exciting concept of a community makeover, where volunteers work together to build better lives for all
  • The Untold and Love series, half hour films for television from 10 countries in southern Africa which tackle the issue of multiple concurrent partners.

These mass media communication vehicles span prime-time TV, radio drama across all languages and high-quality glossy booklets, and also the Internet and new media. Soul City has also partnered with organisations in the region:

Partners

  • Namibia – with the brand name Desert Soul
  • Lesotho – Phela
  • Swaziland – Lusweti
  • Mozambique – Nweti
  • Zimbabwe – Action Pals
  • Zambia – Kwatu
  • Malawi – Pakachere and
  • Tanzania – Femina Hip.

Edutainment

The term ‘edutainment’ is defined as the art of making social issues part of popular and high-quality entertainment formats, using the best research available. Soul City is proud of its lead position in this discipline. Download our Edutainment Model.