Preventing violence before it starts: WC brings communities together through Planet Youth
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness (WCDGW) this week hosted two regional Planet Youth data-dissemination workshops, in the Cape Metro and on the West Coast. This comes as the Western Cape Government Cabinet yesterday gave its full support to the programme.
Planet Youth was first piloted in George in 2023 and is now being scaled across the province. Developed in Iceland and now used in over 19 countries, Planet Youth is an internationally recognised, evidence-based prevention model. This supports the Western Cape’s Healthcare 2030 vision by placing young people at the heart of wellness and prevention efforts, enabling government and communities to work together, interpret the data meaningfully and take informed action that improves young lives.
In April and May 2025, surveys were conducted among all Grade 8 and 9 learners in high schools in Atlantis, Athlone, Langa, Philippi, Gugulethu, Hanover Park, Kraaifontein, Nyanga and Mitchells Plain. Grade 8 and 9 learners in Swartland, Saldanha Bay, Cederberg and Bergrivier municipalities on the West Coast.
Garden Route learners were also surveyed. These communities have been part of the Western Cape’s area-based approach to enhancing safety since August 2023, where government and communities have been able to coordinate interventions to bring positive change.
Early insights show positive trends, while also highlighting areas where communities can better support youth, particularly around substance use, mental health, school engagement and social media impacts.
These sessions brought together provincial and local government, NGOs, academics, school representatives, youth organisations, and safety partners to review trends, share insights, and identify prevention-focused solutions.
The Metro and West Coast workshops formed part of a series of engagements designed to make sense of these findings and translate them into community-driven action. Participants broke into small groups to unpack key themes, including safety, substance use, peer influence, family support, after-school opportunities, and mental and emotional wellbeing.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger emphasised that this process is fundamentally about listening and responding, “Planet Youth starts with listening to our young people to better understand what they face, what pressures they navigate, and what supports they need. These workshops bring communities together to make sense of what our teenagers are telling us, and to build shared solutions rooted in their voices and lived reality. This is how we protect our children, prevent harm before it begins, and create safer, more hopeful futures.”
“No one organisation or department can do this alone. Real, lasting prevention happens when families, schools, faith organisations, local partners, municipalities, and communities stand together around our young people. The strong participation and commitment across the province gives me real hope that by standing together, we can prevent the seeds of violence and risky behaviour from ever taking root in the lives of our children,” she added.
Another regional workshop is planned for the Garden Route, followed by community-specific engagements. These sessions will deepen data sharing, strengthen community participation, and support the co-creation of interventions that build protective environments and ensure safer, more supportive spaces for young people to thrive.
Media Queries:
Robyn Thomson
Spokesperson for the Provincial Minister of Health and Wellness