Launched in 2002, Soul Buddyz is a multi-media intervention designed for children aged 8 to 14 in South Africa. An initiative of the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication (IHDC), in partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Soul Buddyz aims to focus on the promotion of children's well-being through the provision of health information and skills to lead healthy lives, especially those which relate to HIV and AIDS and sexuality. Components of the Soul Buddyz intervention include: a television drama, "Soul Buddyz Television"; a radio intervention, "Soul Buddyz Radio", consisting of drama and interactive talk between children and adults; and a "Lifeskills Booklet" for Grade 7. In addition, there is a face-to-face intervention called Soul Buddyz Clubs, which is implemented in primary schools in collaboration with the Department of Education. The intervention also includes a reality television programme, "Buddyz on the Move", which showcases Soul Buddyz Club activities. Complementary materials and messaging for parents and caregivers of children are also part of the intervention.

In October 2006, in selected households in South Africa (across all provinces and language groups), an adult (16-65 years) was selected randomly with a Kish grid (a grid to randomise participants) and interviewed in the home language of the respondent. If there was a child/children in the same household between the ages of 8-15 years, one child was selected with a grid and interviewed. A total of 1,509 children aged 8-15 years were interviewed. If there was no child in the household between the applicable ages, the adult was still interviewed, but a household with a child in that age range was systematically and randomly found in the household to the right/left of the selected household. Data was weighted up to the national population of South Africa.

Some 82% of children in the 8-15 age group reported having ever watched Soul Buddyz TV, while 63% reported having ever watched Soul Buddyz on the Move. Soul Buddyz Radio achieved a lower reach, with 32% of children in the 8-15 year age group reporting having ever listened. Of those who ever listened, more than 82% of these children had listened to Soul Buddyz Radio broadcasts in the past year. Approximately 45% of children have heard of Soul Buddyz Clubs, while 6% of children reported ever being members. The Grade 7 Lifeskills booklet was reportedly used by almost 50% of children in the intended age group.

Reach of all components was particularly high amongst the 12-15 year olds, with around 90% of children in this age band watching the series. Even though reach of Soul Buddyz Radio is fairly low in the 8-9 year age group, the programme achieved 39% reach in the 14-15 year age group. This level is, however, still lower than that of other Soul Buddyz programmes for the same age group.

All racial groups in South Africa watched Soul Buddyz: Some 84% of Black African children and 83% of Asian children had watched Soul Buddyz TV, compared to 75% and 76% of Coloured and White children, respectively.

89% of children in urban areas, compared to 77% of children in rural areas were exposed to Soul Buddyz TV. This difference between urban and rural viewers was more marked for Buddyz on the Move. Here, a difference of 20% was found - with 74% of urban children exposed to the programme, compared to 54% in rural areas.

Among those who had ever watched Soul Buddyz, some 56% of children had watched 9 or more of the 13 episodes that were screened. As a percentage of the population, some 42% of the total national population of 8-15 year olds watched more than two-thirds of the episodes that were broadcast.

• 84% of children who watched Soul Buddyz Television agreed with the statement "people with HIV can look healthy", compared to 79% in the matched control group - a 5-percentage-point difference attributable to the impact of the Series.
• 89% of children who had read the Grade 7 Booklet disagreed with the statement "you can get HIV by sharing food/cups and plates with someone living with HIV", compared to 72% in the matched control group - a 17% difference attributable to this booklet.
• 93% of children who had read the Grade 7 Booklet agreed that "it is true that HIV can be prevented by using condoms", compared to 76% in the matched control group - a 16% difference attributable to this intervention.
• Belonging to Soul Buddyz Club and listening to Soul Buddyz Radio is also associated with positive perceptions about the importance of condoms as barriers to HIV transmission with observed attributable differences of 6% and 3% respectively. Exposure to Soul Buddyz Television was not shown to have made an impact.
• 75% of children who read the Grade 7 Booklet agreed that you can reduce the risk of HIV by having fewer sexual partners, compared to 61% in the matched control group - a 14% attributable difference.
• 74% of children exposed to Soul Buddyz Television said that they had heard of ARVs, compared to 57% in a matched control group - a 17% attributable difference.
• 86% of children exposed to the Grade 7 Booklet were able to correctly say that there is no cure for AIDS, compared to 80% of those in a matched control group - a 6% attributable difference.
• 39% exposed to Soul Buddyz Radio indicated that there is no cure for AIDS, as opposed to 57% of those in a matched control group - this 18% negative difference "is consistent with negative impacts seen on other indicators for this medium, and requires further investigation."

• 62% of those exposed to Soul Buddyz TV, compared to 44% of those in the matched control group, disagreed with the statement that "it would be foolish to marry a person who is HIV positive" - an 18% attributable difference.
• Exposure to Soul Buddyz TV was associated with an 18% increase in willingness to disclose the HIV positive status of a family member; 57% of those exposed disagreed that they would keep the HIV positive status of their family a secret, compared to 39% in the matched control group.
• 88% of those who were exposed to Soul Buddyz TV, compared to 77% in the matched control group, indicated their willingness to be friends with someone who is HIV-positive - an 11% attributable difference.
• 92% of those exposed reported that they would be friend with a child whose parent/s were HIV-positive compared to 83% not exposed - a 9% attributable difference, respectively.
• 72% those exposed compared to 68% of those in the matched control group felt that teachers who were HIV-positive but not sick should be allowed to continue teaching - a 4% attributable difference.

Soul Buddyz - Tomorrow Is Ours: Evaluation Report 2008 [PDF].