The African Union (AU) has declared that the 2011 Africa Day will be celebrated under the theme ‘Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development.’ Africa Day is celebrated throughout Africa yearly on the 25 of May. The 2011 theme recognises the need to develop a population group which is widely recognised as the most creative, energetic and fearless but which continues to face challenges such as unemployed and lack of access to education.
The urgency to implement effective and efficient youth development programmes in South Africa is evident in the country’s 25% unemployment rate, with young people being the largest unemployed group. During the 2011 budget speech Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan indicated that 42% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are unemployed.
The South African government has shown its commitment to tackling this challenge by declaring 2011 the year of job creation and urging every sector and every business entity, regardless of size, to focus on job creation. In addition, the need to accelerate youth development in the path to economic emancipation is also highlighted in the Youth Month theme, ‘Youth Action for Economic Freedom in our Lifetime.’
As a government institution the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) will continue to enhance the participation of young people in the economy through targeted and integrated programmes which focus on job development. The NYDA has trained 171 000 youth including 86 644 young people participating in the National Youth Service (NYS) Programme.
The NYDA has also linked over 11 000 young people to job opportunities through its Jobs and Opportunities Seekers’ Database (JOBS) and sourced business opportunities worth over R64,6 million through its Business Opportunities Support Service. In providing youth with resources to enable them to generate sustainable business ventures the NYDA has approved R64,429 million worth of loans to young entrepreneurs.
In conclusion, overcoming colonisation, having rich diverse cultures, brilliant minds and some of the world’s most beautiful places and valuable resources are all reasons for Africans to be proud and celebrate this day. However, the prosperity of Africa ultimately depends on ensuring that the youth gain access to education and acquire the necessary support to find employment and start their businesses.
