On this Youth Day, we pause to remember a generation that dared to confront injustice. Their defiance in 1976 was not merely about language policies; it was about the right to a future. Nearly five decades later, the struggle has shifted from political oppression to economic exclusion. The question before us is simple: do we have the courage to give our youth the future they deserve?

South Africa today stands at a dangerous precipice. Our youth unemployment crisis, now surpassing 60% for those aged 15–24 — is not just an economic statistic; it is a threat to the very stability of our democracy. No nation can afford to leave the majority of its young people without purpose, without opportunity, and without dignity. This is no longer a challenge we can debate or delay. It is a national emergency demanding urgent, coordinated, and courageous action.

We often hear that the youth are the future. But words do not create jobs. Strategies, policies, and bold leadership do.

Moving Beyond Rhetoric

Having spent decades working to build businesses that have created thousands of jobs across sectors such as technology, healthcare, media, fishing, telecommunications, and e-commerce, I speak not from theory but from hard-earned experience. I have seen what works, and what continues to fail our youth.

Our problem is not a lack of talent. In countless interviews with young graduates — including many with advanced qualifications from world-class institutions — I am consistently struck by their brilliance, creativity, and resilience. The failure lies not with them, but with us. We have simply not built enough pathways for them to enter the economy.

What we need is not another policy framework collecting dust. We need execution. We need an unrelenting national commitment to dismantle the structural barriers that keep millions locked out of opportunity.

The Digital Economy: South Africa’s Unfinished Revolution

The global economy is evolving faster than our policy responses. The digital economy offers the most immediate and scalable opportunities for job creation. Content creation, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital marketing, app development, and gaming — these industries are growing at exponential rates globally. The creative economy alone has empowered young entrepreneurs with nothing more than a smartphone and determination to build global audiences and sustainable livelihoods.

One need not look far to see examples of young South Africans who have built entire businesses around digital storytelling, entertainment, and education — exporting our culture, humour, and identity to the world. This is not wishful thinking; it is already happening, albeit for a fortunate few who have managed to break through.

The challenge is how to replicate these successes at scale. This requires targeted investments in digital infrastructure, particularly in townships and rural communities where access to reliable internet remains a luxury. It requires technical training hubs where young people can acquire not only the skills to code or design, but also the business acumen to monetise those skills in global markets.

Entrepreneurship Must Begin Early

We must begin cultivating entrepreneurship long before university. Entrepreneurship is not simply about starting businesses; it is about fostering problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability — the very traits that will define success in the 21st century economy.

There are already successful models proving this can work. High school accelerator programmes, which take young people through the process of identifying problems, building solutions, and pitching viable business ideas, have demonstrated how quickly entrepreneurial thinking can be cultivated when given the right platforms. These initiatives need to be integrated into mainstream education — not as electives, but as core components of the curriculum.

Technology Must Complement, Not Replace, Broader Economic Development

Of course, not every young person aspires to be an entrepreneur or a software engineer — nor should they be expected to. The economy must offer diverse pathways: whether in skilled trades, healthcare, creative industries, education, or scientific research.

Sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and media remain critical engines for employment, particularly if we commit to modernising these industries through technology and innovation. A diversified economy is a resilient economy.

Equally, we must recognise the power of arts and culture in economic development. Investments in cultural platforms — including events that celebrate our nation’s artistic excellence — serve not only to preserve identity, but to create jobs in event management, production, tourism, and the broader creative economy. In communities such as Delft, we have seen how support for cultural industries can uplift both artists and entire local economies.

Education as the Great Equaliser

Education remains the foundation of all sustainable solutions. Yet too many talented young South Africans are unable to access tertiary education due to financial constraints. While numerous bursary programmes exist to close this gap, we must expand these efforts and ensure they are coupled with mentorship, internships, and workplace exposure.

A degree alone is no longer enough. Young people must graduate with both knowledge and practical experience to enter the job market or to create their own enterprises.

The Moral Imperative of Leadership

The crisis of youth unemployment is not the responsibility of the government alone. The private sector must recognise that long-term profitability is inseparable from social stability. Companies cannot exist in islands of prosperity surrounded by seas of poverty. A society where two-thirds of young people have no income is a society standing on brittle foundations.

We require a new contract between business, government, education, and civil society — one that puts youth employment at the centre of national development. This must be driven not by public relations exercises, but by measurable targets, financial commitments, and transparent accountability.

I have consistently argued in global forums — whether at the World Economic Forum or at BRICS — that Africa’s greatest competitive advantage is not its minerals, but its people. Sixty percent of the continent’s population is under 25. If we invest in their education, creativity, and entrepreneurial capacity, we will not merely catch up to the world — we will lead.

A Decisive Decade Ahead

We cannot afford another decade of failed promises and policy paralysis. If we do not act now, we will be forced to confront not only economic decline but growing instability and disillusionment among the very generation that should be building this country’s future.

Youth Day serves as a reminder not only of past sacrifice, but of the promise we have yet to fulfil. The time for grand speeches is over. The time for courageous, practical action has arrived. The question is not whether we know what must be done. The question is whether we have the collective will to do it.

The future belongs to our youth. Our task is to ensure they are not left waiting at the gates of opportunity, but are fully equipped to walk through them.

* Dr. Iqbal Survé is the chairman of Sekunjalo and Independent Media. 

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.

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