Youth and Education

By Roxanne Francis   South Africa remains a preferred destination for investors, tourists and students.  What attracted green hearts and hands to our country this time...

South Africa's "born frees" - a nickname for those born in the year of the country's first free elections - turn 18 this year, coming of age at the same time as a democratic SA. While they acknowledge the importance of remembering the struggle, the future is where their focus lies.

Get involved, young South Africans are urged. The National Development Plan is promoted through Brand SA’s partnership with the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment and Youth Dialogue and Action Workshops.
• Implement NDP in everything you do

State-owned companies and major business have a responsibility to step forward, invest and create jobs, says Transnet. The parastatal is doing its bit to invest in education, and offers bursaries and internships to hundreds of students.

Visitors can relive South Africa's turbulent history by walking the route that protesting Soweto school students took on 16 June 1976 - the day that marked the beginning of the end for the apartheid regime. The entire path has been declared a heritage trail.

Sibusiso Vilane is the first African, and one of only a handful of people, to accomplish the Explorers Grand Slam – the Goliath Challenge. He is a walking, talking advertisement for perseverance and resilience, spreading the message that "we Africans can reach great heights" around the world.

South Africa’s Lwazi Gqira, 18, is swinging his way to golfing success after recently competing in his first major championship in Poland.
• Hi-tech help for future sports stars

Young South Africans say they will be celebrating this year’s Youth Day - a public holiday celebrated in South Africa every year on 16 June, paying tribute to the hundreds of students who lost their lives in Soweto in 1976 - by standing up and confronting the challenges they face, just like their compatriots did 35 years ago.
• Youth month marked in SA

Six students at the University of Cape Town are in the running for the Hult Prize, the world's biggest student competition. At stake is $1-million to get their business off the ground. The benefits are far-reaching, and the system could help underprivileged people across the country.

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, handing over 36 houses built by youngsters to mark the 36th anniversary of the 1976 Youth Uprising, called on young South Africans to take the lead in bringing positive change to their communities by volunteering their services.