SANRAL reimagines road safety education for a new generation with launch of ‘Look After Number 1’ campaign

Press Release | Issued by Blueprint Communications Group | 12 November 2026

When it comes to campaigns targeting young people, brands often make the mistake of treating the youth as one audience. But a 7-year-old and a 17-year-old experience the world very differently. They consume different content, respond to different messages, and engage with entertainment in completely different ways.

So, when SANRAL tasked Blueprint Communications with developing a road safety campaign for young South Africans, the agency saw an opportunity to challenge the traditional one-size-fits-all approach.

The result was two distinct creative executions under SANRAL’s ‘Look After Number 1′ road safety platform, each designed to connect with its audience in a way that feels relevant, engaging, and entertaining.

Be Number 1 Safe with Zee the Scholar Patrol

For younger children aged 2 to 9, the idea was simple. What if the lifesaving lessons of the Scholar Patrol could live on every child’s screen across South Africa?

Introducing Be Number 1 Safe with Zee the Scholar Patrol, a five-episode 3D animated series that follows Zee the Zebra and a diverse group of school friends as they navigate everyday road safety challenges.

Working with the talented team at Chocolate Tribe, Blueprint created a colourful animated world that feels distinctly South African. From familiar neighbourhoods and architecture to the iconic Quantum taxis on our roads, every detail was considered to create an environment children could recognise.

Real South African children were cast to voice the characters, bringing their natural accents, personalities, and energy to the series.

Through storytelling, catchy songs, rhymes, and repetition, the series makes road safety lessons easy to understand, remember, and practise.

Watch the full animated series

1 Up Your Safety

For older children and teenagers, however, a completely different approach was needed.

Inspired by the growing influence of gaming, streaming, and interactive entertainment, Blueprint wanted to bring back the spirit of South African edutainment for a generation that doesn’t just consume content but actively participates in it.

Introducing 1 Up Your Safety, an interactive road safety experience where young people get to choose what happens next.
The experience follows five friends navigating everyday situations, from walking home after school to catching public transport and riding with friends.

At key moments, players are presented with choices. Do they buckle up or take the risk? Put the phone away or check that message?
Every decision changes the storyline, with smart choices unlocking rewards and risky decisions revealing the consequences.

To bring this idea to life, Blueprint partnered with Spitfire, with acclaimed filmmaker Akin Omotoso, who directed ‘Soul Buddyz’, and AK directing the multiple storylines and alternative endings. Jeff from Simanga Films also played an important role in bringing the production together.

The interactive experience was developed in partnership with Injozi, who built the digital platform that allows players to explore different outcomes, unlock badges, and replay scenarios.

Adding to the gaming experience is YFM’s Ayanda MVP, whose voice guides players through their decisions, turning road safety education into something that feels less like a lecture and more like a game. Play 1 Up Your Safety here.

One message. Two very different experiences.

After a year of development and collaboration, both campaigns have launched, demonstrating how road safety communication can evolve when it is designed around the people it needs to reach.

While the approaches are different, both campaigns share the same ambition: to help young South Africans develop safer habits and make smarter decisions on the road. Because whether you’re seven or seventeen, looking after Number 1 means looking after yourself and the people around you.

SANRAL’s ‘Look After Number 1’. Helping young South Africans make it home safely.