'Everyone’s talking about it’ is the tagline to Eastenders, one of the most watched shows on terrestrial TV at the moment, or the ‘King of the British soaps’ (followed closely by the beautiful people in Hollyoaks). Like it or not, it’s difficult to resist the salacious storylines, engorged with gossip enough to keep even newcomers to the show satisfied.

But what is everyone talking about? According to recent episodes, it’s a closing post office, a love triangle, and gossiping at The Vic. Unmissable.
Gossip seems to be a global epidemic as soaps hit it off around the world (my Cypriot friend tells me how she’s hooked to Neighbours, despite Cyprus being so behind that Kylie and Jason Donavon are still in it). However, the role of the soap takes a responsible one in the form of Soul City, a South African health and social project that is smashing the airwaves in the sub continent, not holding back on issues like HIV and substance abuse, problems rife within South Africa.

The show is in its 11th season, and with an audience of 34million (according to the website that’s 70% of the population), Soul City is fast becoming a refreshing cultural phenomenon, covering the real issues within the country and its people.

The show combines the pressing issues of health education in South Africa with a media twist, spurning an ‘edutainment’ model to a young demographic that we’ve seen before over here with shows like Grange Hill in the 80s.
Soul City aims to break down stigmas attached with HIV/AIDS, disability, and substance abuse, all topics that have been covered in past episodes. Notably, one episodes cliff-hanger left the audience wondering whether one child would die of diarrhoea or not. Heavy.

A spokesperson for the show states that, ‘we are aiming for social realism, those topics that are not talked about unless they are thrown in front of young people.’ In a country devastated by the silence of stigma, Soul City speaks for a generation of young people looking for a voice. The enterprise also deals with those of a younger demographic, with the sister show Soul Buddyz aimed at 8-12 year olds, prompting a (loud) new generation comfortable with speaking out at the problems facing them, and the country.

So good are the results of the scheme that the UK have jumped on board. According to the Guardian, the ‘UK Department For International Development have pledged £14million over the next four years to help the show's transition into countries including Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, all of which have adult HIV prevalence rates above 20 per cent’. This is a notable coment to make, as fighting the stigma of AIDS is a central preoccupation of the show…according to statistics, 80% of viewers are happy to have a friend infected with HIV, which though may not be directly linked to watching, but shows none the less how South African culture is moving towards a more open minded ideology, starting with the youth; this can only lead to good things.

HIV, Education and healthy choices - everyone’s talking about it.

Check out video clips on: http://www.soulcity.org.za/