South Africa
Tsha Tsha Television Serial Drama
Activity Dates
2004 – ongoing
Activity Summary
 Tsha Tsha is an entertainment education drama series focused on young adults living in an HIV-positive world. It utilizes identification with key characters and problem-solving approaches as part of its educational methodology. SABC is responsible for the production, marketing and broadcast of Tsha Tsha, while HCP worked on the research and development of all 78 episodes of the 4 series’, providing input into the development of the characters, the unique message style of the series, scripts, production and the design of the impact evaluation.
Tsha Tsha Series III maintained a weekly audience of 2 million people over 26 weeks. Research on the Tsha Tsha series has highlighted the program’s impact on service uptake including VCT, increased abstinence by viewers compared to non-viewers and stigma reduction within communities.
Currently in its fourth series, Tsha Tsha has won numerous awards and has seen an increase in its support from different levels of South African society beyond its original target market of youth. Recently, Tsha Tsha Series IV, Episode 45, took first place with a "Gold Camera Award" in the category of social drama in the U.S. Film and Video Competition – a competition which received over 1250 submissions from 26 countries. Tsha Tsha remains one of the top five programs on SA TV.
Objectives
- To increase knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS related issues (e.g., VCT, ARV, and PMTCT)
- To encourage PLWHAs to live more positively and seek HIV/AIDS related services, including VCT, PMTCT and ARV treatment when appropriate and available
- To increase the rate of adherence to ARV treatment
- To increase dialogue concerning HIV/AIDS care and support
- To decrease stigma associated with HIV/AIDS
- To increase self-efficacy of young people regarding positive decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills to promote a healthy lifestyle
Implementation
Tsha Tsha Television Serial Drama
Tsha Tsha is a gritty Nguni language educational drama (with English subtitles) set in the fictional rural town of Lubusi in Eastern Cape. The drama focuses on the lives of four 20-somethings in the dusty streets of this impoverished town as they negotiate a bumpy course along the path to adulthood, dealing with HIV and AIDS, relationships, sex and poverty. The series depicts many challenges that young people face in South Africa as they make the transition to adulthood and aims to enhance young peoples' capacity to reflect on problems, engage in developing solutions, and become active agents to choose the shape of their own lives.
Throughout the course of its 78 episodes, Tsha Tsha addressed several HIV and AIDS issues, including:
- Stigma
- Disclosure
- Community support for PLWAs
- Challenges of young people
- Caring for sick parents
- Condom use
- Secondary abstinence
- VCT
- Sexual assault
The main characters in Tsha Tsha are:
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Viwe, a spoiled, relatively wealthy, arrogant young woman who discovers she is HIV positive and learns to face the challenges this brings.
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Boniswa, who is introspective and bookish, but whose heart and mind don’t always follow the same path.
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Andile, who is struggling to care for his mother, who is sick with AIDS, and his little sister, a talented but reluctant dancer.
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DJ is a brash, immature city boy exiled in Lubusi and out of tune with a world he gradually embraces.
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Facilitator’s Guide
The Tsha Tsha Facilitator’s Guide recaps each episode and identifies a main question and guiding questions for each theme so that facilitators can more deeply explore and reflect on the issues in the episodes with their participants.
Community Radio
Tsha Tsha series themes are translated into four major languages and broadcast by 60 local community radio stations through Community Health Media Trust, reaching 6 million listeners.
Impact Evaluation
A national sample survey of 7,006 men and woman age 15-65 conducted in 2006 found that:
- 47% of survey respondents had ever watched Tsha Tsha. This translates to 14 million viewers. Of those, 30% had watched half or more of the programs.
- Condom use increased with increasing exposure to Tsha Tsha. 42% of males who had not seen any episodes of Tsha Tsha used condoms to prevent HIV, compared with 57% who had seen less than half the episodes, and 72% for those who had seen half or more. 29% of female respondents who had not seen any episodes used condoms to prevent HIV. This increased to 43% among those who saw less than half of the episodes, and 55% of those who had seen half or more.
- After controlling for 17 socio-economic control variables and all the other AIDS communication program, Tsha Tsha was found to have significant impact on seven important attitudes and behaviors related to HIV and AIDS: percent using condoms to prevent HIV, discussed HIV test with one’s sexual partner, ever had an HIV test, can name ARV as treatment for HIV, cared for someone living with HIV and AIDS, high positive attitude toward people living with HIV and AIDS, and knowledge and use of AIDS telephone help services.
- The estimated cost of reaching each person in the Tsha Tsha audience was R1.04 The estimated cost of each additional condom user was R16.05.
Publications
Videos
- Tsha Tsha Season One Promotional Video (5') (Download | Streaming)
- Tsha Tsha Season One Promotional Video (21') (Download | Streaming)
- Tsha Tsha Season Three Promotional Video (8') (Download | Streaming)
- Tsha Tsha Fidelity Promotional Video (20') (Download | Streaming)
- Tsha Tsha Legacy Promotional Video (8') (Download | Streaming)
Materials
Audiences
Young people age 18-35 years
Partners
SABC Education, Curious Pictures, CADRE, Academy for Educational Development
Back to South Africa
Note about materials: Some of the materials and resources listed on each page are available in their full form, others are represented by image or citation only. For more information and resources, go to www.jhuccp.org
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