In South Africa, young people have faced exclusion from important mental health policy and decision-making spaces, resulting in policies and practices being developed without their voices included. Over the past three years, SAFMH, through a generous grant from EMpower, has piloted the first of its kind national youth advocacy and advisory forum for mental health in South Africa. The forum currently is made up of 18 young people (aged 19-25 years) from four provinces across South Africa (the Western Cape, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and North-West).
Meet our forum members
The Pilot
The forum aimed to empower young mental health advocates to guide national mental health advocacy and awareness work while enhancing their voices, advocacy skills, capacity, and mental health knowledge. Fourteen candidates from the Western Cape and Gauteng, who were dedicated to mental health advocacy and driving lasting change in South Africa, participated in a six-month virtual programme. The forum integrated professional insights, individual development opportunities, advocacy training, and practical awareness campaigns.
Impact
Three key themes describe the impact of the forum on the members:
- Gained understanding of mental health, advocacy and mental health in South Africa.
- Gained skills, including for advocacy and awareness raising, time-management, evaluation, public speaking and organisation.
- Increased sense of worth to identify as a youth mental health advocate in South Africa.
Read the full Evaluation Report
I really loved the fact that SAFMH has been intentional about making this pilot project youth-centred. Every individual that is part of this project is young and we all seem to share the same goals of wanting to learn and grow more in this specific area of our advocacy. Which is absolutely inspiring. I learnt that it’s important for us as advocates to take care of our mental well-being first in order for us to carry out our advocacy plans.”
The forum was educational and I’ve learnt a lot about the mental health field and being a mental health advocate. I loved the information that was shared with us and how it has equipped us to be mental health advocates.”
Being a part of the forum means that I can finally fully operate in mental health advocacy conversations and be afforded the chance to serve people.”
Youth Advocacy Forum: Year 2
Building on the success of our 2023/2024 pilot forum, SAFMH expanded the National Mental Health Youth Advocacy Forum to include two additional provinces, while continuing to support the original cohort. With youth still underrepresented in South Africa’s mental health policy spaces, the forum remains a vital platform for advocacy and empowerment.
Year 2
The forum aimed to empower young mental health advocates to guide national mental health advocacy and awareness efforts while enhancing their voices, advocacy skills, capacity, and mental health knowledge. Nine members (aged 18-24 years) from the previous pilot forum chose to continue as alumni and were further supported to continue their ongoing advocacy in the form of practical work outputs. Fifteen new youth mental health advocates (aged 18-24 years) from the North West and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provinces were selected to participate in a six-month virtual advocacy programme. They formed Cohort Two.
Impact
Overall, forum members described the forum as an inspiring, educational, safe,
empowering and nourishing space that practically supported members and
facilitated their growth as youth mental health advocates.
Read the full evaluation report below.
I’m thankful for the experience, the people, the environment and the knowledge I gained. I have a renewed sense of purpose. I feel energised to
continue with the cause and focus more on my advocacy journey because of the knowledge I’ve gained and the understanding I have now.”
The forum became a space for my transformation. I learned how toe xpress myself and advocate for mental health. I was introduced to mental health policies, which sparked a new passion within me. For the first time, I felt like my voice mattered.”
A highlight of my experience has been connecting with like-minded individuals who share the same passion for mental health advocacy.These interactions have shown me the importance of empathy, patience,and education in breaking down stigma.”
Youth Advocacy Forum: Year 3
Seventeen members (aged 18-24 years), made up of members from Cohort 1 (2023-2024) and Cohort 2 (2024-2025), chose to continue as alumni and were further supported to continue their ongoing advocacy in the form of practical work outputs. The key focus for growth during this grant period was shifting from producing advocacy outputs to actively implementing them.
Year 3
The first priority for this grant cycle was merging the two pre-existing cohorts into one effective forum group. SAFMH used the lessons from the in-person meeting in March 2025, the evaluations conducted after each online meeting throughout the year, and its own observations to guide the process. When reflecting on the past year, SAFMH has seen the alumni programme being very successful in encouraging and supporting youth forum members in developing their advocacy work.
The second priority for the beginning of this grant period was SAFMH recruiting a Youth Forum Coordinator for the first time to support the forum’s ongoing administration and operations. It is important to note that SAFMH was committed to recruiting this person from the forum itself, thus providing one of the forum members with a tangible opportunity for economic, career, and personal development.
Overall, forum members described the forum as a motivating, informative, safe, uplifting, and enriching environment that offered hands-on support and encouraged their development as mental health advocates.
Read the full evaluation report below.
Having a community of like-minded people. I will forever carry the relationships I have built here for the rest of my life. Thank you.”
Showing up matters, whether showing up for yourself or others… it matters. The work we are all doing does not go unnoticed. I truly appreciate being a part of the youth forum.”
This experience has changed my life. It gave me purpose, confidence, and a voice. I will always be grateful for how the Forum helped shape the person I am today.”
