Abstract
Notwithstanding the transformative potential of digital platforms, Public Health Communication
(PHC) remain uncommon in Zimbabwe, with organisations relying on outdated models such as
posters and radio announcements that fail to engage youth. western-style Public Service
Announcements (PSAs), often borrowed as-is, clash with cultural norms, rendering them
ineffective amid conservative values that shroud sensitive topics like compulsive sexual behaviour
(CSB) in stigma. This study, titled Viral Whispers: Leveraging Digital Media Affordances and
Gamification to Design Engaging Public Service Announcements for Zimbabwean Youth,
addresses this disconnect by designing gamified PHC that trigger interest and sustain engagement
on CSB among Zimbabwean youth.
Employing Qualitative Participatory Action Research (PAR) integrated with Design Thinking
(DT), the investigation involved 30 Chinhoyi University of Technology students in four focus
groups and six sexual health and wellness practitioners (SHWPs) via interviews, using purposive
and snowball sampling. Directed Content Analysis provided rigour, while iterative cycles of
empathising, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing ensured youth co-creation. Key findings
reveal that youth primarily access PSAs via WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok, preferring short,
high-resolution videos with relatable characters, local language code-switching, and redeemable
gamification points; they dismiss poor-quality content within 5–10 seconds. SHWP narratives
highlight non-linear storytelling, exposure via phones or peers, and religious influences on CSB
realisation.
Synthesising African Oral Tradition Storytelling (‘ngano’) through Culturally Grounded Design
Synthesis, the study generated the novel RUNGANO framework—an acronym for seven steps
(Rooting, Unveiling, Need, Great Quest, Action Peak, Nestling, Outcome) underpinned by three
cores (Oral Tradition, Interactive, Gamification). Incorporating ubuntu values via idioms,
proverbs, and euphemisms, RUNGANO balances initial virality with prolonged motivation,
outperforming combined western models in cultural resonance. Prototypes include minimalist
cinematic branching videos, text-based narratives, and a WhatsApp chatbot that enables decision
points, point-earning, and low-data access.
Assessed against the Contagion and Octalysis frameworks, RUNG. ANO proves
applicable for gamified social media content, fostering safe spaces for reflection on stigmatised
behaviours. Academically, it extends digital media and gamification research within African
contexts; socially, it promotes collaborative learning over moral instruction; practically, it guides
practitioners in creating interactive, low-data interventions. By transposing traditional storytelling
affordances onto digital platforms, the study demonstrates how “whispers” on taboo topics can
become viral, enhancing youth engagement in public health.