22 May, 2026

SKY Girls, which we run across countries in Africa with a grant from the Gates Foundation, has always met teen girls where they are. Across songs, films, TV, magazines, comics and live events, we’ve grounded every decision in their realities and motivations, whether to reduce demand for tobacco or to support access to sexual and reproductive health information and formal financial services.

Today, that means showing up on the social media platforms they already use, and creating content that matters to them. For Gen Z, immediacy and authenticity are key. They value content that’s direct, visually stimulating and easy to share. Strong hooks, text overlays, relatable humour and high-energy storytelling help content land and stick.

A strong example is SKYTok (by SKY Kenya, Tandem Network). Launched in 2024, it is a TikTok series created to break the silence around topics girls often cannot discuss, including relationships, peer pressure, and growing up, alongside issues such as periods, contraception, and HPV. It features teen girls themselves, alongside parents, doctors, and popular personalities they care about.

This shortform series has garnered over 10 million views, with unscripted dialogues that blend lived experience with credible expert guidance. Now, four seasons in, and a recent Bronze winner at the TikTok Awards, the format has scaled to SKY Zone in Côte d’Ivoire (launched last March and already exceeding 2 million views) and SKY Unscripted, launching in Nigeria this summer.

Thirty years ago, social media wasn’t part of the landscape, and even when SKY Girls launched in 2014, it played a far smaller role than it does today. Now, around 5.17 billion people use social media, with the fastest growth in Africa, South Asia and Latin America. For SKY Girls, this isn’t about chasing trends, but about following girls’ terms.

We’re not naïve about the downsides. Digital gaps, misinformation and endless scrolling are real risks. But, used thoughtfully and ethically, social platforms can be transformed into spaces for trusted information, safe connections, and behaviour change that supports girls’ rights and futures.

As Good Business turns 30, the takeaway is simple: formats will evolve, platforms will change, but starting with the audience, on their own terms, should always come first.

By Sarah Forero