YearBeyond - Research Paper

The main objective of this research was to assess the effectiveness of YearBeyond’s social media communication strategy among youth in underprivileged South African communities by investigating social media accessibility, audience engagement, content performance, message interpretation, emotional responses, and the factors that influence meaningful youth engagement and socio-economic factors. To achieve this objective, relevant theoretical frameworks, such as Digital Divide Theory and Social Identity Theory, were considered.

Effective engagement requires organisations to not only have an online presence but also to ensure their communication is relevant and accessible. Many underprivileged communities in South Africa face digital barriers, such as unreliable internet and limited skills, making online content less accessible. Additionally, underprivileged youth often struggle to connect with social media content that does not reflect their realities or community challenges.

Moreover, the study utilised SPSS for cross-tabulations to analyse social media use and engagement among youth, based on data rather than theory. The sequential exploratory design included data collection from Yeboneers using various methods, such as stratified sampling, structured online forms, and semi-structured interviews, culminating in thematic analysis to achieve the research objectives.