Community activists played a central role in participants’ change process from their initial knowledge about SASA! ideas through implementation of new behaviours. Their role as change agents appeared to be particularly influential because they were part of community members’ social networks and also often respected ‘opinion leaders’. Several participants, mainly men, indicated pre-existing relationships with their community activists who were “resident[s],” friends, relatives or members of their local council. For example, one participant described how he had always “strongly admired” a CA, noting:So because of that man being part of the SASA! team I wanted to listen and get to know whatever they were discussing. (1 M).