A group of community leaders in fluoro yellow vests from Melbourne's South Sudanese community will be easily identifiable among the crowd at this weekend's Moomba festivities.

The group has stepped up its efforts to avoid a repeat of last year's violent brawls that erupted at the three-day festival involving many of their younger brothers, sons and daughters by wearing high visibility vests emblazoned with "South Sudanese Community Leaders" across the back.

South Sudanese community leaders in fluoro vests will be at Moomba.

Their plan is to approach African youths engaging in antisocial behaviour before it escalates, says Kot Monoah​.

The lawyer and chair of the South Sudanese Community in Victoria said 11 "elders", both men and women, would be at Moomba, actively seeking out young African men and women and urging them to talk about their troubles.