High barriers to employment, including having to have years of work experience before being considered for a job, were among the concerns raised by those attending the South African Youth Awards at the East London International Convention Centre on Friday evening.
The well-attended event saw about 600 young people from around the country converge on the third bi-annual awards held to honour youth doing exceptional work in eight categories, including academia, science, art and civil society.
The event is hosted by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) – a state entity that funds initiatives and projects for youth.
The glitzy ceremony saw celebrities, such as Nomzamo Mbatha, Zizo Tshwete and Naked DJ, among those who handed over trophies and cheques to the 24 recipients.
Mbatha said three-quarters of Africa’s population consisted of young people who needed to be proactive and innovative to fast-track economic development throughout the continent.
“The baton has been passed to us; we are in the majority and need to become disruptive and rewrite the pages of history,” she said.
Three winners were selected from the eight categories, with the winner of each category walking away with a R20,000 cheque while the runner-up scooped R5,000.
NYDA executive chair Sifiso Mtsweni said the winners had been nominated after a rigorous process by the agency.
“The awards are to celebrate the future of our country, a cohort of young people who do extraordinary work for SA.”
“We are hopeful that by celebrating and showcasing the work that the South African youth have done, we will inspire other young people to preserve the legacy of our fallen martyrs, such as Mama Albertina Sisulu and Tata Nelson Mandela,” he said.
Mtsweni added that the struggle stalwarts had not fought to emancipate the country for the unemployed to still be victimised through a hard-to-access job market.
“We have yet to see entry-level jobs calling for youth straight out of tertiary education where they can be upskilled and enabled to grow.
“Vacancies expect applicants to have three to five years experience. Where is this supposed to come from? These are the terrible ills we need to rectify in our society,” he said...