Young people want to work, not wait:
A skilled, educated, economically supported youth is the bedrock of a strong democracy
The National Youth Development Agency continues to cement its position in being a major role player in empowering young people in South Africa. It centres its vision and mission on providing young people with links to their next opportunities for growth.
The NYDA’s strategy focuses on four core areas:
- A passion for developing young entrepreneurs.
- Supporting inclusive hiring through our JOBS programme.
- Revitalising the National Youth Service for active citizenry.
- Coordinating the Integrated Youth Development Strategy.
Youth entrepreneurship has a large role to play in combating unemployment. A recent report on township economies estimates the potential market value to South Africa’s economy from its 500 major townships at R900 billion. This is potential that is largely unrealised: thanks to the distances and spatial exclusion of townships from central business districts, most of their businesses remain small scale and essentially survivalist, tending to circulate local resources rather than produce tradable goods and services that serve wider markets, create decent work opportunities and generate higher incomes.
The NYDA seeks to support youth micro-enterprises — young people who have dreams of owning their own businesses for the first time — supporting them with business management training, business development support, development finance, access to market programmes and mentorship. Over the course of the sixth administration more than 100 000 youth entrepreneurs have been supported, with more than 10 000 receiving financial support, creating more than 30 000 jobs.
Across sectors, employers who are prepared to redefine what a “good employee” looks like reap the rewards of inclusive hiring. Educational achievement doesn’t tell the full story of potential. Many young unemployed people in South Africa did not have the chance to perform at their fullest potential at school, whether it was due to poor resources or the hard set of life circumstances they faced in childhood. Through the JOBS program, working with employers on the demand side to understand their recruitment challenges, and on the supply side with young people, making them more visible to the labour market and crowding in partners such as the Sector Education Training Authorities, more than 75 000 young people have been placed in sustainable jobs over the last five years.
There is a vast array of diverse young people ready and yearning to serve their country. Youth service plays a role in civic responsibility, in developing a common identity, recovery and rehabilitation and nation building. This is a passionate and idealistic generation that sees the urgency and need and wants to serve those around them. There is a wealth of work for them to do in public schools, reigniting forgotten after-school programmes, in tackling societal issues such as alcohol and substance abuse and GBV, and in building social solidarity in their communities. Over the last three years more than 70 000 young people have been enrolled in a paid National Youth Service, making it one of the largest NYS programmes globally.
At an individual level NYS participants have:
• Formed identities as working persons: realising the importance of having obtained work (being paid) and having been provided with an introduction to the world of work.
• Enjoyed financial benefits; for the majority it was the first time they had a bank account or earned an income.
• Enjoyed greater self-reliance and self-confidence/increased assertiveness.
• Found service satisfaction from doing meaningful work.
At a community level, NYS participants have demonstrated agency and patriotism towards their community wellness and being part of change. They helped community ECD centres, supported schools with extra tutorial and life-skills, started and ran community gardens and ensured clean and safe spaces. There has been increased awareness about early child learning: over 30 000 children benefited from ECD services daily, more than 27 000 farmers were assisted by NYS farm assistants and 96 000 young people accessed sports, recreation, and life skills activities/coaching sessions delivered by NYS participants. Economically, participants use their stipend money to contribute to the local economy by buying from local vendors and increasing the demand and supply for goods and services in their communities.
Prior to Youth Month, on 18 May the NYDA honoured hundreds of its graduates who have completed their various academic qualifications while being funded by the Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu Scholarship Fund. The fund was founded on 17 March 2014 in honour of the life of a stalwart whose life was cut short by the previous political regime. The NYDA, having engaged with the Mahlangu Family and finding out that Solomon — or “Solly” as they fondly called him — wanted to be a teacher, established this fund in his name, which has been a great honour for his family. Witnessing the tangible materialisation of his values and ideals, even post his brief time on this earth, is the greatest respect the NYDA can bestow upon him.
This year’s Youth Day commemoration took place in the province of Limpopo, at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium located in Polokwane. The commemoration, under the theme “Actively embracing the socioeconomic gains of our democracy”, aimed to expose over 75 000 young people to 110 opportunity providers from various sectors in education, enterprise support, mentorship, banking and health facilities. Over the last two years, and post the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a reimagining of what the commemorative days ought to be like, as previous Youth Day approaches are no longer relevant to young people. The focus has instead become on having a large-scale career and opportunities expo for young people that offers them as many life opportunities as possible. Young people can relate to this more, as this is what interests them — opportunities for study, volunteerism, service, employment and entrepreneurship.
This Youth Month, we are reflecting on four years of transitioning young people from learning to earning. Central to the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)’s efforts is the establishment of the National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) led by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), a network-of-networks designed to support young people in navigating pathways into the economy.
To date, there are more than 4.4 million young people registered on the NPNM, and young people have accessed over 1.3 million earning opportunities, with the majority of these opportunities being accessed by young women, the most vulnerable and marginalised demographic in the labour market. The network brought together over 30 partners from the government, private sector and civil society, creating a comprehensive support system for young people.
A skilled, educated, economically supported population is the bedrock of a strong democracy. The involvement of young people in any formal economic activity fosters critical thinking, civic engagement, and a deeper understanding of South Africa’s desired solutions to address its current low economic growth and triple challenge status. It empowers individuals to participate actively in democratic processes, ensuring that our government remains accountable and responsive to the needs of its people. As the country ushers in the seventh administration, it is crucial to put the needs of young people at the helm of its developmental agenda.
Skin Renewal’s prejuvenation revolution:
Proactively slowing ageing and unlocking radiance: Youthful skin starts early
In an era in which maintaining a youthful appearance is highly valued, Skin Renewal Aesthetic Clinics have positioned themselves as trailblazers in championing proactive solutions to combat the signs of ageing before they become visible. This emerging global trend, known as prejuvenation, is reshaping the approach to skincare — and Skin Renewal is at the forefront of redefining the possibilities of youthfulness.
Led by the visionary Dr Maureen Allem, founder of Skin Renewal, South Africa’s leading medical aesthetic practice has revolutionised the country’s medical aesthetics landscape over the past two decades. With more than 18 clinics across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, Dr Allem and her team are leading innovation and transformation in the field of aesthetics.
Prejuvenation is a natural extension of the holistic, inside-out approach that sets Skin Renewal apart. “Rather than waiting for signs of ageing to become apparent and then attempting rejuvenation treatment, we advocate for a proactive strategy, offering a range of interventions tailored to each client’s individual needs,” Dr Allem explains.
This trend is popular among younger individuals, particularly millennials, who are proactive in preserving their skin and addressing signs of ageing before they become prominent. It involves subtle treatments like Botox and minimal fillers to maintain a youthful appearance. Dr Allem says the focus is on preserving the skin — because ageing involves much more than just wrinkles! It also includes the loss of bone, muscle and ligament strength, which contributes to sagging and reveals the effects of gravity.
She says the rise of prejuvenation marks a paradigm shift in the industry’s approach, which targets the root causes of ageing and prevents their onset. “By embracing prejuvenation, we’re empowering individuals to maximise their natural beauty and wellbeing, and take control of their skin health to achieve lasting results.”
In younger clients, hormonal pigmentation — often seen in patients using hormonal contraceptives — are a leading cause of concern, along with skin conditions such as acne, which can severely impact self-esteem and quality of life.
It’s never too early to care for your skin
Even for those with no apparent skin conditions, developing a good skincare regime should not wait until later in life. “Even as babies, sunblock is recommended to prevent damage, so age-appropriate skincare and skincare products should be high on everyone’s priority list,” she explains. “A significant amount of skin damage occurs before the age of 20, and protecting and preserving the skin early in life can help delay or minimise age-related issues and pigmentation conditions that typically arise between the ages of 28 and 50.”
“Starting healthy skincare practices and using age-appropriate skincare products like sunscreen and antioxidants at a young age can help protect existing collagen from daily stressors like pollution and smoking, and minimise damage,” she explains, adding that their prejuvenation treatments and services are underpinned by GRASS principles: growth factors, retinols, antioxidants, speciality products and sun protection. ”Additionally, we also offer products and supplements to ensure that no treatment or intervention from Skin Renewal is ever just skin deep.”
With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Skin Renewal combines cutting-edge technology, scientific research and the expertise of highly skilled medical professionals and therapists to deliver exceptional prejuvenation services. State-of-the-art devices such as lasers, radiofrequency machines, and micro-needling systems offer targeted and effective solutions to combat early signs of ageing. These non-invasive procedures improve skin texture, reduce pigmentation, and enhance overall skin health.
One of the most popular prejuvenation techniques offered by Skin Renewal is the use of innovative anti-ageing injectable treatments such as dermal fillers and neurotoxins. These treatments help to stimulate collagen production, restore volume, and relax facial muscles, thus preventing the development of fine lines and wrinkles. By starting early, clients can maintain a youthful appearance for longer and reduce the need for more invasive procedures in the future.
Holistic approach key to vibrance and confidence
The aesthetics industry is not without its critics. Some argue that encouraging individuals to focus on preventing signs of ageing may exacerbate societal pressures to maintain unrealistic standards of beauty. Dr Allem, however, says that Skin Renewal’s success lies not only in its technical expertise but in its unwavering dedication to ethical practices, informed decision-making, client satisfaction and psycho-physical wellbeing: “Balancing societal standards and individual empowerment is a complex challenge; we aim to help our patients feel better about themselves but also focus on other aspects of their lives that bring them happiness and fulfilment. It’s essential to avoid crossing the line into body dysmorphia and prevent patients from becoming caricatures of themselves.”
She says open and honest discussions about expectations and motivations are critical before any procedure is undertaken: “Our approach to rejuvenation is about making small improvements without creating an artificial or exaggerated appearance. We promote natural skin rejuvenation and prioritise the overall harmony and balance of the face, rather than just continuously adding more and more treatments. We also emphasise the importance of lifestyle changes in the ageing process. Our approach is holistic, taking into account lifestyle factors, nutrition and sleep health, alongside aesthetic treatments. Throughout it all, we emphasise the importance of individuality and diversity, and support our clients on their journey to embrace their unique beauty.”
By fostering a sense of empowerment and self-confidence, Skin Renewal goes beyond physical transformations and prioritises holistic wellbeing, redefining what it means to age gracefully and authentically in today’s day and age.
French ballet star Guillaume Diop joins Joburg Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty:
This is a contemporary fairy tale. There are back-and-forth Instagram likes, a DM from the princess to the prince, with an unusual request, and a happy ending.
IRL, it actually happened.
We are at the French ambassador’s residence, a croissant’s throw from the Union Buildings in Pretoria. I’m being filled in about the real-life events that brought young French ballet superstar Guillaume Diop to dance in Joburg Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty.
Ambassador David Martinon is hosting the 24-year-old Diop, one of the youngest people, and the first black person, to be promoted to the exalted status of “étoile” dancer at Paris Opéra Ballet. In ballet, this is a massive deal.
An étoile (star) is the highest of the respected Paris Opéra’s five ranks. Last year, at the age of just 23, the prodigious Diop bypassed the rank of “premier danseur” in the highly hierarchical 355-year-old company — a most unusual move.
Paris Opéra has 154 dancers, 17 of them danseurs étoiles.
Joining Diop and me on the veranda overlooking the residence’s rolling lawns is the equally striking and charming Joburg Ballet principal dancer Monike Cristina. They will take the leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty, based on the timeless fairy tale about love conquering all.
The two, who are clearly good friends, are giggly when they tell me how the major coup of getting Diop to South Africa came about.
First, I ask Cristina what made her think Diop should dance here in South Africa.
She smiles: “Very easy. He’s amazing. He’s gorgeous. He’s a nice person. He’s a talented dancer and he’s representing very well for us … so I’m feeling very lucky and blessed to dance next to him.”
It started with Brazilian-born Cristina liking one of Diop’s posts on Instagram. He liked one of hers back. That gave her the courage to slide in with a “very crazy but why not” direct message. She asked him: “Maybe you can come?”
Diop, who had seen footage of what Joburg Ballet has been doing recently, texted back: “Yeah, I really like the company. It would be fun if we could dance together.”
An excited Cristina immediately told Joburg Ballet’s go-getter CEO Elroy Fillis-Bell, who wasted no time making it happen. He elicited the support of the French Institute and the happy result is Diop will perform opposite Cristina in The Sleeping Beauty on Friday 28 June and Sunday 30 June at the Joburg Theatre.
It will be a major production, with around 50 dancers, staged by ballet mistress and producer Sophie Sarrote who, for many years, was a dancer with the famed La Scala Ballet in Milan.
Set to music by Tchaikovsky, the demanding ballet will be accompanied by a 57-piece Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Chad Hendricks.
Diop was brought up in Paris by a Senegalese father and a French mother. He started dancing at the age of four. He did so because of his sister, who is 18 months older.
“We have a very special relationship and she was dancing,” he tells me. “I wanted to do just like her.”
It is also because he has always been a shy person.
“When I was little, I wasn’t very good at expressing myself. And my parents noticed dancing was truly a way for me to express myself with my body. And it just seemed easier for me to do so than with words.”
I ask if the shyness is still an issue.
“Actually, on stage, I’m not shy at all. It’s, like, in life that I’m shy. But on stage I always feel myself,” he says and adds a comment about how welcoming South Africans are.
“I’m not shy here because I’m very comfortable with everyone.”
Diop joined the Paris Opéra’s ballet school at the age of 12, where he trained for six years.
“I always knew that dance would be an important part of my life but I really decided to make it my job when I was 15 or 16,” he says.
In 2018, he became a professional dancer and joined Paris Opéra, one of the most respected ballet companies in the world.
He was entrusted, despite his young age, with some of the greatest roles in the company’s classical repertoire, such as Romeo (in Romeo & Juliet), Solor (in La Bayadère) and Prince Siegfried (in Swan Lake), after successfully replacing injured soloists at short notice.
But like most fairy tales, especially real-life ones, Diop has had to negotiate dark clouds in his stellar career. When he auditioned for Paris Opéra’s ballet school he got racist comments.
As he told AFP last year: “People told me: ‘There are no blacks at the Opéra,’ ‘They won’t pick you because you’re black.’ They told me I had a big bottom and flat feet — all the clichés about black people.”
Diop feels there is a “glass ceiling” for black ballet dancers. In 2020, he co-wrote, with four other black dancers at the company, a manifesto titled “De la question race à l’Opéra de Paris”. It opened a conversation with management on the lack of diversity, inclusion and representation.
Management responded positively because it was clear “we wanted to make Paris Opéra a better place for people of colour”. He adds “Even when we wrote the manifesto, I wasn’t seeing it like a political thing. I was seeing it like an experience thing, like a human thing, like sharing what we go through as humans.”
The manifesto, which received support from more than 400 employees at Paris Opéra, reverberated far beyond France, garnering international attention. As a result, significant measures, such as adapting costumes and make-up to accommodate diverse skin tones, were implemented.
Diop says he doesn’t come from an overtly political background but his parents gave them “values like tolerance and living together and accepting other people, no matter what they are, like … you know, if they’re same colour or sexual adherence or not”.
As one of “25 to Watch” last year, Diop has “handled every challenge with grace”, Dance Magazine said in its write-up.
“How about the physical challenges?” I ask him.
“It is very hard because you must be very strong but, at the same time, you must not be too thick, so it’s really all about balance.
“I think it’s also mentally difficult because sometimes it’s a very competitive world. So, sometimes it’s very hard to stay focused on yourself, and on your own growth, and not being too sensitive about corrections or the way people see you.”
At Paris Opéra, ballet dancers must retire at 42. In the light of this short career, I ask Diop about lifestyle. “Can you ever go out partying?” I wonder.
“Yes,” he says without skipping a beat and bursts out laughing with Cristina. “I even took him to a party,” she says with a wink.
Can you eat and drink what you want to?
“It depends on when the performance is … if I’m having a show or a performance the next day, I’m going to be careful,” Diop says.
“I’m not going to eat burgers and drink tons of wine. But it’s not so much about how I look but more about having energy and, like, eating the right food.
“We mostly eat pasta or some greens before a show because it gives you long-lasting energy.”
When I ask about his role in The Sleeping Beauty, he gives me the short version.
“I’m dancing the role of Prince Désiré, who is saving Aurora [Cristina] from the sortilege that the wicked fairy Carabosse did to her. So, I’m kissing her and she wakes up …”
Those ballet fans who are fortunate enough to watch their performances this weekend will obviously live happily ever after.
Submit and get free exposure here: Showcase Your Business | Advertise Your Special Offers.
