Face of the Future
F
Youthful Movers and Shakers
Writer Mpho Majoro
Since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, extensive time and resources have been invested in growing the local economy and building an inclusive society – one everyone can be proud of and benefit from
• Harnessing the potential of South Africa’s youth population could help to unlock future growth potential and national wealth.
• Currently 3.1 million of the 10.3 million young people in South Africa are not in employment, education or training.
• Preparing youngsters through entrepreneur- focused education endeavours is one tool at government’s disposal.
• Highlighting the drive, ambition and successes of small-scale entrepreneurs can also help fire up enthusiasm for business creation and spark the development of an increasingly inclusive society.
Unfortunately, living up to the potential of this
“alive with possibilities” clarion call has not always been commensurate with the input. South Africa is still one of the most unequal societies in the world, a country characterised by widespread poverty and rampant unemployment. The majority of those seeking work are young people aged 15-24. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the fourth quarter of 2017 shows that about 3.1 million of the 10.3 million young people in the country are not in employment, education or training.
In a developing economy such as South Africa’s, having a generally young population bodes well for building a great nation. In fact, globally, rich and poor countries alike are increasingly focused on the fact that the future wealth and growth of a nation is undeniably vested in its young people – but only if this human capital is harnessed.
The realisation that current statistics will negatively impact future possibilities is partly the reason there has been a push from the state and other agencies to invest in the development of youth entrepreneurship in South Africa. The expectation is that young people will one day become the custodians of the nation’s institutions and pass the baton to future generations.
What South Africa needs to do, according to TodayTomorrow business consultant Raymond de Villiers, is harness the national resource which is the youth, and figure out how to unlock that value in a way that other countries are not able to. “The problem is the way we educate and prepare young people. We prepare them to be employed. So we’re basically sitting with people who aren’t being equipped in terms of insight, knowledge and the abilities [required] to be entrepreneurs,” he explains.
But getting the recipe right does not only fall on the shoulders of educators, government and society; many other young South Africans are spotting and seizing opportunities for themselves. This hunger to succeed and break barriers is real, alive and kicking in many townships, suburbs and rural villages as young South Africans continue to push boundaries and establish new platforms to create employment for themselves.
Guiding and supporting these individuals to success is increasingly seen by many as the best investment South Africans can make in their collective future. In order to shine a light on their efforts, Gradient caught up with five young movers and shakers who are flying the flag in terms of social entrepreneurship, innovation and future thinking.
Gradient Issue 2 67
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
