SANISHA PACKIRISAMY: Why South Africa can’t afford to neglect its young people
With one of the youngest populations globally, South Africa holds a demographic spark that could ignite the economy. But that depends on young people being healthy, educated and employed — which is not happening
12 June 2025 - 05:00
Each year on June 16, South Africans honour the legacy of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, a defining moment when a brave generation rose against a system that denied young black people dignity and opportunity. Nearly 50 years later, young people are not facing teargas and truncheons but unemployment, poverty and marginalisation.
With one of the youngest populations globally, South Africa holds a demographic spark that could ignite the economy. Yet, this youthful flame risks being smothered by economic inertia, wasting a generation that could illuminate our future. ..
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