Changing behaviours. Changing lives.

The Behaviour Change Agency is where powerful insights from behavioural and data science meet passionate creativity to stir up sustainable change in customers, employees and citizens.

What makes BCA different?

SHARED VISION

We believe traditional approaches to social and business challenges can be radically transformed to meet the needs of a growing South Africa when combined with the tools of behavioural and data science.

Our approach harnesses the power of “Think, Nudge, Shove” to design interventions that really shift mindsets and behaviours.

Think

‘Think’ is effective for building support and legitimacy for big, transformational changes that we need in society, such as addressing obesity or saving. It is particularly powerful in building people’s ability and motivation to take part in and drive those transformational changes.

Nudge

Nudges are subtle, incentive-based interventions that modify the context in which our decisions are made, and the way choices are presented to us. They work by making more desirable behaviours easier to adopt. Nudges are most effective for specific, limited shifts in behaviour, such as recycling, driving responsibly, or getting circumcised.

Shove

While nudges work to encourage us, shoves work to deter us. They’re more assertive approaches for modifying behaviour, such as regulatory or policy interventions. A shove can create the conditions needed for a nudge to be most effective.

WHAT MAKES BCA DIFFERENT?

Over the past decade, behavioural science approaches for modifying human behaviour have advanced all over the world. So, what makes BCA different?

It’s all about context.

Our strategies are unique because we understand the power of context in shaping the effectiveness of behaviour-change solutions. That’s why our approach is deeply rooted in the South African experience.
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Our country has many great transformation stories, not least its peaceful transition to democracy. BCA's founder was an integral part of the communications team of the Constitutional Assembly that ensured massive public participation and behaviour change in the Constitution-making process.

Two areas from South Africa’s history have laid the foundation for our behaviour-change approach today:

The concept of Ubuntu has been given serious scientific support thanks to the work of neuroscientist Dr Vilayanur Ramachandran and his research into mirror neurons.

Ubuntu and mirror neurons
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“In Africa there is a concept known as 'ubuntu' – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others.” – Nelson Mandela
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The concept of Ubuntu has been given serious scientific support thanks to the work of neuroscientist Dr Vilayanur Ramachandran and his research into “mirror neurons”, a set of specialised brain cells he links to the development of human empathy.
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Ubuntu and the concept of empathy lie at the heart of BCA’s behaviour-change strategies.

The south african constitution. We combine the latest evidence-based research with a tried-and-tested, community-based application of behavioural science.

The South African Constitution

BCA was born in May 2016, on the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the South African Constitution. Our key pillars took shape during the historic constitution-making process: saliency, social mobilisation and shared values.

As a proudly South African company, we combine the latest evidence-based research with a tried-and-tested, community-based application of behavioural science. We’re driven to use the bahavioural tools at our disposal to help tackle South Africa’s most pressing challenges in order to make a real impact for social good.

Vilayanur Ramachandran: The neurons that shaped civilization

Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran outlines the fascinating functions of mirror neurons. Only recently discovered, these neurons allow us to learn complex social behaviors, some of which formed the foundations of human civilization as we know it.

Contact Us

+27 21 035 1735

info@bcagency.co.za

First Floor, Block B,
Boulevard Office Park,
Searle Street, Woodstock,
7925, Cape Town,
South Africa.

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