youthlatest news & developments
Gen Z arise: Tanzanian police imposed a nationwide curfew after youth protested in major cities ahead of the elections. Photo: Wainaina Mburu

Failed economies and systemic decay: Gen Z defy the elites for political change

The youth describe their movements as leaderless and digital, as they defy the old elites who have led to frustration due to failed economies and systemic decay.

  • Eyaaz
3 min read
Ramaphosa said the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan has attracted about R250 billion in international pledges for large-scale manufacturing, infrastructure and skills development.

Procedural justice foundation of South Africa’s just energy transition

The JET must be deep: redistributive, participatory and youth-led

  • Eyaaz
6 min read
Opportunity: Day two of the G20 Food Security Task Force meeting chaired by the agriculture department’s Mooketsa Ramasodi (second from right). South Africa hosting the G20 is an opportunity to advance issues associated with youth in Africa. Photo: G20 South Africa

Leverage G20 presidency for African youth’s priorities

South Africa can link its national interests together with those of African Union and the AU Youth Charter to deliver the UN sustainable development goals

  • Eyaaz
7 min read
Dream seller: Youths in Nairobi protest on the anniversary of the demonstrations of 2024 in which 60 young people were killed. An increase in income tax, inflation, a higher fuel price and other costs were delivered instead of the jobs and improved lives that President William Ruto promised when he was elected. (Jared Nyataya /Nation)

 Kenya: A president under siege

The president has turned to football to regain the trust of young people as he faces discontent over taxes and unfulfilled promises ahead of the 2027 election

  • Eyaaz
8 min read
Rebel and leader: John Tengo Jabavu (left) and his son Davidson Don Tengo Jabavu (about 1903). Photo: Wikipedia

Dubula Ngosiba: Young voices in an Age of Uncertainty

Today’s youth should remember those who came before them who conquered overwhelming odds

  • Eyaaz
8 min read
Young people who are pessimistic about their economic futures are unlikely to sit idly by waiting for change. They will demand it. Photo: Nichole Sobecki/AFP

Africa’s youth driving a transformative future

Young people on the continent are taking up new initiatives focusing on democracy, resource management and peacebuilding to shift power to people

8 min read
Underage drinking: A tavern in Diepsloot. Young people are being lured into consumption by manufacturers and marketers. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Alcohol adverts see young black people only as a market

Teenagers to 35-year-olds are being sold a fantasy in a bottle – one of glamour and black excellence

  • Eyaaz
5 min read
Leaders such as , Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu pursue power at the cost of people. (File photo)

After the hashtags: A letter to the youth left with debris

South Africans’ history taught us the cost of inhumanity and that it was defeated by resistance, so we must not be indifferent to those building inequality in the world

4 min read
Urban jungle: Cities in South Africa are not geared towards making life easy for young people, particularly those who are looking for work. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

(Re)centre youths in city planning

Spatial barriers, which translate into transport and data costs, put financial strain on job-seekers

  • Eyaaz
6 min read
Young people can lead the way to a fair and just society by volunteering in their communities, discussing social issues with peers, holding leaders to account, treating everyone with respect and not compromising on principles. Photo: David Harrison/M&G

The future is now: A call to SA’s youth to build social justice

Young people need to have discussions with their peers who have become apathetic and disengaged and volunteer in our communities to create a just society

5 min read
Creating a school-to-work pipeline through partnerships between education institutions and business, backed by policy, can boost employment.

Harness the potential of the continent’s demographic dividend

Partnerships between education institutions and the private sector, with the backing of policymakers need to develop a strong school-to-work pipeline.

6 min read
Universities and businesses need to close the gap between the skills being taught and those that employers need.

Cutting unemployment rate needs a national, coordinated effort

The requirements of the job market in all professions require ongoing university curriculum reviews to assess each programme’s relevance and alignment with the needs of professions, industry and society

5 min read
Young people’s digital fluency and ambition make them vulnerable to crime. Photo: Reuters

Young, connected and exposed: Cybercriminals are preying on SA’s youth

Young people’s digital fluency and ambition make them vulnerable to crime. Here’s how to protect them

3 min read
Skilled but no jobs: South Africa’s history of dispossession and exclusion demands purposeful intervention to build a more just and inclusive economy. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

We need to change – not reject – black economic empowerment

South Africa’s history of dispossession and exclusion demands purposeful intervention to build a more just and inclusive economy

5 min read
Young people are asked for their views but these seldom translate into action.

Policy dialogues: Youth in the room, but not at the table

There is nothing more disempowering than participation without influence. And there is nothing more dangerous than a generation that feels ignored.

6 min read

The Role of Sports in South African Youth Development

Sports undoubtedly play a pivotal part in moulding the lives of youngsters in South Africa. Sports are deeply entwined with social transformation and have become a powerful means of empowering young people. Sports foster discipline and teamwork pretty effectively amidst young South Africans undergoing rapid personal growth. The Influence of Sports Betting on Youth Engagement […]

  • Shaun Goosen
3 min read
At the age of 28, Lerato Bereng was a shareholder and partner at the Stevenson gallery

Young, black and reclaiming the gallery scene

They are breaking down the barriers to what have long been seen as exclusionary spaces

  • Eyaaz
13 min read
Cogta and Salga are pushing for an amendment Bill that seeks to remove the undue influence of smaller parties on the appointment of political office bearers in municipalities to be approved as law by next year’s elections. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

2024: The year democracy was tested in Africa

Coming on the heels of seven coups since 2020, 19 countries held elections but with mixed outcomes

  • Eyaaz
6 min read
The pressure to succeed financially, combined with the lingering effects of poverty, creates a toxic cycle of consumption, debt, and financial instability

Young professionals’ financial struggles tied to psychological scars left by colonial, apartheid past

The pressure to succeed financially, combined with the lingering effects of poverty, creates a toxic cycle of consumption, debt and financial instability

  • Eyaaz
6 min read
The late former president Nelson Mandela

Exorcising Mandela’s ghost

We need to honour Madiba’s significance, especially among young people, through more than just one day of charity. We must also attend to deep structural change in our society

  • Eyaaz
7 min read