South Africa has entered a decisive โyear of actionโ for its youth, as government calls on young people, institutions, and society at large to unite under a bold national programme aimed at reshaping the countryโs future.
Delivering a keynote address at the Media launch of the 50th annual commemoration of the 1976 youth uprising, held in Soweto, on Thursday (May 15), Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) declared 2026 a turning point, anchored in the theme โRESET@50 โ The Future Calls.โ
The Minister said that just as young people organised in May 1976 toward a day of action, todayโs generation must organise toward a year of national action.
โThis is not just a campaign. It is a call to action: to remember truthfully, not through selective memory, but the full truth of pain, courage, betrayal, resilience and sacrifice,โ the Minister said.
Democracyโs gains for young people
The Minister highlighted the significant strides made since 1994, when young South Africans first entered a system promising political freedom, equal citizenship and a renewed social contract.
The adoption of the Constitution in 1996, now marking its 30th anniversary, entrenched rights to dignity, equality and freedom, laying a foundation for expanded opportunities.
Chikunga noted that since then, the government has expanded access to education, student funding, youth development institutions, public participation platforms, skills development and employment pathways.
โThrough generations of student activism and progressive deliberate policy choices of the democratic state, enrolment in the public university sector grew from 495 356 students in 1994 to 1 077 768 students in 2022. By 2025, public universities were projected to enrol over 1.15 million students, while TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) colleges were projected to enrol over 587 000 students,โ Chikunga said.
The Minister attributed sustained student activism, particularly the #FeesMustFall movement between 2015 and 2017, for accelerating progress toward accessible higher education.
She highlighted that through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), nearly 3.9 million students benefited from R192 billion in funding between 2019 and 2023.
Government has also strengthened institutional support for youth development.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), established through legislation in 2008 and recently amended in 2024, continues to play a central coordinating role.
In this financial year, government has allocated R1.8 billion to the NYDA to expand entrepreneurship, employment pathways and skills development, including support for youth-owned enterprises.
The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention has created a large-scale platform linking young people to opportunities, with more than 4.78 million young people registered on the National Pathway Management Network, and over 1.67 million earning opportunities secured by 2025.
The basic education sector has also contributed, with over 320 000 young people gaining work opportunities in approximately 23 000 public schools during the first phase of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative.
โThese gains matter. They show that democracy has created institutions, opened doors, and placed resources behind youth development. But the next phase must be measured by completion, transition, absorption, ownership and dignity,โ Chikunga said.
Despite these achievements, the Minister cautioned that access alone is no longer enough. The next phase, she said, must focus on outcomes: completion of education, transition into work, economic participation, and dignity.
The Minister said the RESET@50 initiative calls for closer collaboration between higher education institutions, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), and industry.
She said universities and TVET colleges must work with industry to co-create curricula with employers to ensure graduates are equipped for real economic opportunities.
โTo the private sector and strategic institutions, your presence must translate into concrete commitments [including] jobs and work experience, support for youth-owned enterprises, and investment in future skills.
Education is key for youth – Lesufi
Getting education right is the cornerstone of building a stronger country and a thriving economy, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has said.
Lesufi was speaking at the media launch of the Golden Jubilee commemoration event at Uncle Tom’s Community Hall.
In his address on Thursday, the Premier stressed that South Africaโs future depends on the quality, inclusivity, and relevance of its schooling system.
He argued that meaningful reform in education is already underway, with government taking bold steps to transform both teaching and learning in real time.
โWe took a conscious decision to train teachers while they are still teaching in the classroom, and to change the curriculum while learning continues. Today, we have a curriculum that is accessible to everyone.โ
Lesufi described the introduction of a revised curriculum as one of the most significant milestones in recent history, highlighting its focus on inclusivity and historical truth. He said the curriculum must reflect the countryโs collective past and honour figures such as Nelson Mandela, while also recognising the broader struggles that shaped the nation.
โThe history of South Africa is not a history of one group of people. All South Africans must participate in shaping that history.โ
NYDA Acknowledges Youth Unemployment Crisis
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) says the struggle facing South Africaโs youth today is no longer confined to the classroom, but defined by unemployment, poverty, inequality and exclusion from economic participation.
Speaking at the Media launch of the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprising, in Soweto, NYDA Chairperson, Dr Sunshine Myende drew a direct line between the historic fight against apartheid education and the modern-day battle for economic freedom.
โFor many of us as young people today, the struggle is against unemployment. The struggle today is against poverty. The struggle today is against inequality. The struggle today is against exclusion from economic participation,โ Myende said on Thursday.
She added that young people, particularly women, also face the persistent threat of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), describing it as a critical part of the broader struggle for dignity and equality.
Call for Youth Unemployment to be a National Disaster
Dr Myende called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare youth unemployment a national disaster, arguing that such a move would unlock urgent and coordinated responses across government and the private sector.
The NYDA, she said, is already working with departments, such as the Department of Public Service and Administration, to utilise a national database of unemployed graduates, a group she described as a โticking time bombโ for the country.
โIt is painful to see graduates celebrating today, while tomorrow they face uncertainty about their future,โ she said.
She eemphasized that young people need more than internship and leaderships to get their foot in the doors of emplyment.
She concluded with a call for collective action, urging government, business, and society to invest meaningfully in young people.
The NYDA is one of many government institutions that seek to provide opportunities for young people to be employed or become the employer. For more information, visit their website or social media platforms for their latest programmes.
