As South Africa commemorates Youth Day, we honour the brave students of 1976 who stood against injustice with clarity of purpose and unwavering courage.

Their legacy is not merely one of resistance, but of vision, a belief in a future worth building. Today, that responsibility rests on a new generation of young South Africans navigating a world reshaped by digital transformation, economic uncertainty, and global shifts.

In my own journey across technology, governance, and entrepreneurship, from founding GovChat, South Africa’s official citizen engagement platform, to co-founding Suppple PLC, a company listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, one truth has been consistent: success begins with purpose.

Purpose is not a trend. It is a compass. For young people in 2025, being purpose-driven means aligning your skills, passions, and actions toward solving real problems. Whether it’s bridging inequality, building inclusive technologies, or transforming education, purpose grounds you when challenges arise. It turns work into meaning.

But purpose alone is not enough. You must be willing to fail and fail fast. The idea of “failing fast” is not about being careless; it’s about being courageous enough to test, to try, to take risks, and to move on quickly when things don’t work. My most important lessons have come not from success, but from setbacks. Every failure has refined my thinking and strengthened my resolve.

Yet no purpose, and no recovery from failure, is sustainable alone. That’s why choosing the right partner, in business, in leadership, in life, is vital. The right partner is someone who shares your vision, complements your weaknesses, and walks with you through adversity. Surrounding yourself with people who elevate your purpose and challenge your comfort zones is one of the greatest predictors of long-term impact.

Youth Day is a call to action. It reminds us that we inherit the responsibility to lead with courage, to learn from failure, and to build partnerships that last. To South Africa’s youth: your purpose is your power. Your failures are not final. And the people you walk with will shape your legacy.

You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the builders of today.

* Prof. Eldrid Jordaan is Professor of Practice at Johannesburg Business School

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

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