The UK Government has been supporting Soul City for the past 13 years with a total spend of more than R200m and has committed R225m (£14m) over the next 4 years.  This funding will support Soul City’s ongoing work in other Sub-Saharan countries including: Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe where the adapted Soul City material is already reaching more than 60% of all young people.

In South Africa for an official visit, the UK’s Permanent Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Gillian Merron, said today:

“ The UK Government is proud to be associated with such innovative ‘edutainment’.  I am delighted that my government is going to support the rollout of Soul City and Soul Buddyz across the Southern African region with the commitment of R225m over the next four years.  Young people deserve to have access to the information that can save lives and Soul City does just that.”

Soul City addresses 20 different health and development topics through their TV dramas, print materials and radio dramas. These topics range from maternal health care, xenophobia to domestic violence, as well as having a strong emphasis on HIV and AIDS. As one of the biggest interventions in South Africa doing HIV prevention with adults and children, Soul City can claim to have contributed to the changes in sexual behaviour among young people and the decline in HIV prevalence amongst young South African women under 20. The figure has fallen from 16.1% in 2004 to 13.7% in 2006.


Notes for Editors

In an independent evaluation of the Soul City regional programme – this is what some people had to say:

“I learnt that we should love and support HIV positive people so that they can be happy and strong” (Lubombo rural boy, 16-19 years).

“I have realised the importance of protected sex and have since refrained from sex without a condom. The booklet also influenced me to go for voluntary counselling and find out my HIV status.” (Young man from Lesotho)

1. Soul Buddyz is aimed at 8-12 year olds and is designed to promote their health and well being.  It has a TV and radio show as well as accompanying booklets for children and parents.  There are 3600 Soul Buddyz clubs spread through South Africa.
2. Soul City is a TV and radio show, as well an advertising campaign and information booklets.  All series' address HIV/ AIDS, as well as issues such as maternal and child health, violence, rape, disability.

DFID’s Behaviour Change Communication programme which includes support for Soul City is designed to deliver the following results:

• Increase percentage of young people (16-24) who are adopting safer sexual practices from 49% (baseline) to 59%
• Increase percentage of youth and adults (age 15-49) who have been tested for HIV from 19% (baseline) to 44%
• Decrease percentage of people who hold stigmatising attitudes from 29% (baseline) to 19% Increased proportion of people reporting correct knowledge about HIV, TB, sexual and reproductive health from 69% (baseline) to 79%
• Increased percentage of young people and adults reporting correct knowledge of HIV and TB management from 70% (baseline) to 80%


18 March 2008

Media contact:
Russ Dixon, Spokesman, British High Commission, Pretoria
Russ.dixon@fco.gov.uk
083 252 8431
012 421 7596