What was Young Africa Live in South Africa?

Piloted in South Africa between early 2023 and March 2024, Young Africa Live used a WhatsApp chatbot, Facebook and Instagram to reach young people in South Africa with clear, trustworthy and engaging content to help them make informed choices to improve their sexual and mental health. Avert was the content and social media marketing partner in the project which was led by Reach Digital Health, with investment from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

To maximise impact, Young Africa Live used channels like Facebook and WhatsApp that young people already used, and was closely integrated within South Africa’s existing Department of Health sponsored B-Wise sexual health information brand.

Young Africa Live’s chatbot provided judgement-free private conversations and tailored support.
Facebook was used for peer engagement and to support open discussions.

Avert led content development for the chatbot across a range of issues related to sex and relationships, HIV and STIs, and mental health. We also led on social media marketing to drive awareness and engagement with the chatbot and to promote and moderate discussions on Facebook and Instagram.

A range of visuals from Young Africa Live social media marketing

Why was Young Africa Live developed?

A new generation of young people in South Africa needed a new approach to engage them on issues around sexual and mental health, and help them make informed choices to improve their wellbeing.

Evidence showed that young people were less informed about key health topics, disproportionately impacted by HIV and STIS, and had poorer links to and retention within health services compared to adults. Young people also felt moralising and unrelatable authority figures were often communicating in inaccurate, antiquated and often judgemental ways.

In response, Young Africa Live delivered relevant, engaging sexual and mental health content to youth using a sex-positive and youth-friendly approach, encouraging positive behaviour change by empowering young people to make informed decisions.

This chatbot is absolutely amazing. It gets me curious

How did Young Africa Live make a difference?

Monitoring and evaluation data from the pilot phase showed correlations between the chatbot and improvements in knowledge‬ and attitudes among users. With 100,000 users reached and conversations started, the programme effectively‬ engaged its target audience.

Feedback indicated that users found the‬ content both relevant and useful. The data also showed statistically significant‬ improvements in sexual and reproductive health knowledge, body image and consent attitudes, and condom‬ usage among those not‬ planning to have a child in the next year.

Qualitative data highlighted positive behavioural changes,‬ including improved communication and comfort in discussing sensitive topics. Self-reported user intentions showed an increased likelihood‬ of visiting healthcare facilities and seeking counselling.‬

85% of endline respondents‬ attributed these self-reported changes towards healthier behaviours to the Young Africa Live/B-Wise platform. ‬

When I got there (on the chatbot), I saw that I could ask whatever question I‬ wanted or had. I could ask it, especially the questions I could not ask the people‬ around me. I feared judgement so much, but on this platform, I can also ask about‬ those topics I would be shy about. I learnt a lot

On social media, data showed that the Facebook platform effectively reached a broad audience,‬ reaching more than 9 million young people, with over 8.9 million post engagements. This showcased the power of social media platforms like Facebook, particularly within‬ Young Africa Live 's target demographic.

User feedback revealed high levels of engagement, with 75%‬ of Facebook group followers accessing the page daily or weekly and 72% of users‬ engaging with paid content. On average 58% of users had shared Young Africa Live content, with 16.5% sharing 6 or more times; and 63.5% of users had commented, with 19.5% commenting 6 or more times. For a social media intervention, this demonstrates good participation and underlines the potential for stimulating and sustaining peer discussion.

Download the full endline evaluation and read more about learnings from the project.