YOUTH DAY 2026 - This Youth Month, the Western Cape Government is launching an innovative positive parenting series, covering specific topics that teens told us are important to them.
Nearly 50 000 teenagers across the Western Cape helped to shape a new chapter in how the province supports adolescent wellbeing and parental connection.
Through the Planet Youth survey, rolled out across the province in 2025, almost 50 000 Grade 8 and 9 learners from 123 schools shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations.
With a response rate of almost 89%, the survey provides one of the most comprehensive pictures ever collected of adolescent wellbeing in the province.
The survey showed us that parents play an important social protective role in teens’ lives and now, through a video podcast, we are discussing these insights with parents on how to connect with their teens on the things that matter most to them.
The findings are helping to shape how the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness supports young people throughthe launch of the Masithethe “Let’s Talk” Positive Parenting Series and through the expansion of Youth Zones, which are adolescent-focused healthcare spaces.
"Adolescence is a period of great vulnerability, but it is also a period of enormous possibility. If we want young people to make healthy choices, we must create environments that make those choices possible," says Dr Keith Cloete, Head of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness Mireille Wenger said the Planet Youth findings provide valuable insight into the factors that help young people thrive.
"If we want to improve youth wellbeing, we must focus on prevention. The Planet Youth findings show us that strong families, supportive adults and safe spaces are some of the most powerful protective factors in a young person's life. Our response is therefore focused on strengthening those protective factors before problems become crises."
Strong families remain one of the best forms of prevention
The Planet Youth findings show that parents and caregivers remain among the strongest protective influences in a young person's life.
Yet the survey also found that:
- 33% of learners seldom or rarely spend time with their parents on weekends;
- 29% identified their mental health as an area where they need support; and
- learners whose parents know where they are after school, maintain open communication and set clear expectations are significantly less likely to engage in risky behaviours such as drinking, vaping, cannabis use and unsafe sexual activity.
In response, the Department is launching the Masithethe Positive Parenting Programme on 16 June.
Masithethe, meaning "Let's talk", is an initiative aimed at supporting the whole family around the adolescent. More than a parenting programme, it is an investment in stronger family relationships, safer communities and better outcomes for young people.
The programme brings together teenagers, parents, caregivers and professionals with expertise in parenting and family support in an open and practical conversation series about the realities of raising adolescents in today's world. The content focuses on positive communication, trust-building, setting healthy boundaries and providing consistent support.
Parents and caregivers are empowered with practical skills that help young people thrive while reducing the risks associated with violence, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and other harmful outcomes. The series shares honest information, tools and resources that families can use in everyday life.
One of the programme's youth facilitators, 18-year-old Thomas Barrish, believes open communication is critical.
"As teenagers, we need to feel that we can ask questions and talk to our parents or caregivers without being judged or getting into trouble. We need our parents to be present and listen to us. We need a safe space and the support of a parent or caregiver to navigate this journey with us and to help us make better choices.”
Video episodes are available on YouTube, while weekly radio programmes are broadcast on Radio Zibonele, Witzenberg, Perron, Eden and Bush every Thursday between 09:00 and 12:00.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger
Creating safe spaces where young people belong
The Department is also encouraging teens to make us of its free Youth Zones across the province. Youth Zones are dedicated adolescent-friendly spaces often located within healthcare facilities but separate from routine clinic areas. Teenagers often do not access healthcare because of inconvenience, stigma or the feeling that services are not designed for them.
Youth Zones provide access to information, support and services related to mental, sexual and physical health in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment. They also create opportunities for young people to take ownership of their wellbeing and make informed decisions about their futures.
While not all facilities currently have Youth Zones, the Department aims to expand this model as widely as possible.
The Planet Youth survey found that only 68% of teenagers feel safe in their communities, highlighting that improving youth wellbeing requires a whole-of-society effort.
To help create healthier and safer environments for young people, the Department is working with other Western Cape Government departments, civil society organisations and community partners to strengthen opportunities for connection and belonging through after-school programmes, youth-focused safe spaces and community partnerships.
This Youth Day, the Department encourages parents, caregivers and communities to invest in the wellbeing of young people by listening to them, supporting them and creating environments where they can thrive.
The evidence is clear: when young people have strong relationships, supportive adults and safe spaces, they are more likely to make healthy choices and reach their full potential. Building those protective factors is not only an investment in our youth, but an investment in the future of the Western Cape.
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