Following the successful hosting of various initiatives to mark Youth Month, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) urges all sectors of society to continue with initiatives targeted at the development of young people across all South African communities. As part of this year’s Youth Month celebration, the NYDA in partnership with government led a number of initiatives under the theme “Youth Action for Economic Freedom in Our lifetime.”
The initiatives include the launch of a Car-wash Youth Cooperatives Projects in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. The idea to establish the Car-wash Youth Cooperatives Project came about as a result of recognising the popularity of car-washes in townships and the minimal start-up capital the business requires, presenting an opportunity to create jobs in areas where youth unemployment is most rife.
In line with the International Cooperatives Day celebration on 2 July, the NYDA partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the South African National Apex Cooperative and the Eastern Cape Provincial Government to raise awareness about cooperatives as an alternative form of enterprise model for youth.
The awareness drive included an exhibition of national cooperative enterprises held in East London where various youth run co-operatives presented their work to the public. Dipeng Trading Cooperative Ltd from Atteridgeville, Tshwane was awarded a cash prize of R20 000 by the NYDA’s Deputy Executive Chairperson, Yershen Pillay, for being the best overall exhibitor present. The top five runners-up were presented with business consultancy services vouchers to be used for business support services necessary for the sustainability of their co-operatives. Services on offer include marketing plans, business process re-engineering and financial management. Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies addressed the event.
Meanwhile as part of engagements with young people the NYDA joined Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe during an interaction with the youth of the Eastern Cape. The event jointly hosted by the Eastern Cape Premier’s office and the NYDA gave young people an opportunity to interact with the Deputy President and the NYDA and raise issues affecting Eastern Cape youth, within the context of the government’s declaration of 2011 as the year of job creation.
Issues raised include a suggestion for municipalities to consider employing young people in their Special Programmes Units and for the NYDA to provide more access points to young people in the remote areas, a suggestion which is line with the NYDA’s strategy to open Local Youth Offices in all 283 municipalities. The NYDA will use suggestions from the interaction to come up with proposals to help alleviate poverty and youth unemployment.
In the Western Cape the NYDA took part in a debate at the annual Youth Parliament convened by the South African Parliament as a platform for young people to discuss contemporary issues facing them with the aim of proposing sustainable solutions.
During the debate young people raised a number of critical development issues including the role of government in complementing youth development institutions towards youth skills development, improving the quality of life of youth, including economic freedom and whether drug rehabilitation is working. Emphasis on education was one of the issues that young people raised sharply. They were equivocal in encouraging all young South Africans to make education a priority towards developing themselves and sustainable communities.
They also called for the strengthening of Further Education and Training Colleges (FET) in order to provide the required training for young people to be absorbed in the labour market and subsequently participate in the country’s economy. The NYDA noted calls by young people to strengthen the voice of young people in the formulation of government policies and programmes including government initiatives such as the government’s Jobs Fund, unveiled by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan during Youth Month.
Aimed at assisting young emerging entrepreneurs with disabilities develop their own businesses and be part of the growing economy, the NYDA in the Western Cape in partnership with the Disability Workshop Development Enterprise (DWDE) hosted an Emerging Entrepreneurs with Disabilities workshop. Through the Emerging Entrepreneurs project for youth with disabilities, the NYDA will train a number of young people in business development.
Also during the month, the NYDA joined forces with Ithala Development Finance Corporation to launch the Imbewu Loan Fund. The Fund will provide loans of between R50 000 and R5 million to youth owned small micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) and cooperatives in KwaZulu-Natal.
To reward young entrepreneurs and encourage more young people to engage in entrepreneurial activities, the NYDA in partnership with the South African Youth Chamber of Commerce (SAYCC), the Sowetan and Sunday World newspapers announced winners of the Future 100 competition. The competition saw thousands of young entrepreneurs being nominated by the public to take part in the Future 100 programmes aimed to identify top youth-owned enterprises in South Africa.
The top 100 winners from various provinces received award certificates confirming their achievement as the Future 100; their stories and businesses will be profiled in a special supplement in the Sowetan and Sunday World newspapers. Onesimo Ngumbela owner of TravelStop based in Gauteng and Rocksolid Properties based in the Western Cape, was the overall winner and walked away with the CEO Award of R100 000.
Lastly the NYDA set out to educate the “Born Frees” about the 1976 uprisings and Soweto historical sites, which form part of the country’s rich history. The organisation took about 250 Grade 11 and 12 students from top performing rural, township and former Model C schools across the country on a history educational tour in Soweto. The young people visited sites such as the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial, the Nelson Mandela Family Museum and the Walter Sisulu Square where they learnt about the Freedom Charter.
Other aspects of the tour included a motivational talk by Sello Maake ka Ncube, an ardent exponent of South African culture who has over 25 years experience as an actor and was also a student during the 1976 uprisings. To inform young people about opportunities that are available to them there were speakers from tertiary institutions and an NYDA career guidance counsellor.
This year’s Youth Month programme was hosted within the context of the NYDA celebrating its second anniversary. Since establishment the NYDA has made strides in curbing youth unemployment through facilitating youth access to business funding, business mentorship, youth skills development programmes and promoting youth access to information.
Since inception business funding to the value of R66,7 million has been issued to youth owned enterprises, supporting 24, 062 young entrepreneurs with business loan finance. In addition, 5, 277 young entrepreneurs were issued with business consultancy services vouchers to help them access services such as business plans, company registrations and marketing plans.
As part of its contribution to job creation, over the past two years the NYDA sustained 60, 712 jobs through various initiatives including the Enterprise Finance and Business Development Services programmes, a target exceeded by 18, 2% in the 2010/11 financial year.
The NYDA has also made great strides in promoting skills development since its inception. Over 444, 000 young people received career guidance, a target exceeded by over 11% in the last financial year and about 152, 377 young people were trained as part of youth skills development including 84, 644 participating in the National Youth Service Programme.
Faced with the reality that of the 25% unemployed South Africans about 70% are young people, it is evident that the challenge will require more than government and its related institutions. A more collective effort including all sectors of society, particularly the private sector, is required in order to initiate and work towards tangible programmes that will help improve the lives of young people and reduce poverty.
To this end, the NYDA has further embarked on a process of developing an Integrated Youth Development Strategy, the Integrated Youth Development Strategy (IYDS), aimed at improving coordination and guiding youth development in the country. Once finalised, the IYDS will ensure that programmes and policies of all government departments as well as the private sector are structured in a manner that promotes the development of young people. The IYDS which covers aspects like education, economic participation, health, national youth service, will contain a clear monitoring and evaluation tool against which all sectors particularly the public sector should be monitored and account on how their programmes and polices impact on the lives of young people.
As we come to the end of Youth Month, the NYDA is reminding every stakeholder in society that the focus on young people should go beyond Youth Month. Youth development is a service that requires all our energies and participation throughout the year.
Enquiries:
Siyabonga Magadla
Cell: 083 686 9016
