From risky weekend hangouts to 50% less youth violence in Cape Town

Friday night in Cape Flats. Most teens drift to the street corner, music blaring, drinks passing hands. By Monday the police blotter tells the same grim story: stabbings, muggings, one more funeral. Alarmingly, in 2013 there were seven murders a day in Cape Town. Nyanga in particular was known for this violence. With a murder on average every 36 hours and countless other violent crimes. The Western Cape Government wanted a way out. So they partnered with ideas42 and UCT’s Behavioural Lab. Rather than another lecture on “staying safe,” they built a simple tablet tool that hijacked the weekend script. Now, instead of drifting into danger, young people were nudged to commit to safer plans publicly, socially, and ahead of time.