On Tuesday, 16 June 2021, South Africa commemorated Youth Day, recognising the role of the youth in the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid regime, but also to pay tribute to the lives lost in the Soweto Uprising 1976.
However, it does not stop here. This is how we pay attention to history. But how do we pay attention to the future? How do we invest in our future youth?
Among the most serious threats to a prosperous and inclusive South Africa is the high rate of unemployment among young people. South Africa defines youth as people between 15–35 years old and this age bracket constitutes an unusually large portion of the South African population.
The 2016 Youth Development Index reported that South African youth currently make up almost two-thirds of the population, while the average figure for developing countries is approximately a quarter.
In the face of these figures and knowing that young citizens make up almost two thirds of the entire South African population, it is clear that time is of the essence, and solutions must be found quickly.
The development of young people must become a national priority.
An important component of youth engagement is creating opportunities for youth to express themselves, voice their ideas, and provide input for projects or programs. It is critical for youth to actually be heard.
How can we create a society in which every person has the support and the opportunities to fulfil their potential? By investing in our youth. By grasping opportunities to train them, to teach them, to hear them and to love them. To pay attention to them is a very important first step.
How are you making a difference in the lives of the youth of South Africa?
“Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom,” said South Africa’s late statesman – Nelson Mandela at London’s Trafalgar Square in February 2005.
