prospects of young people being able to make a living and essentially, survive in our already grossly unequal country.

For many, this youth unemployment crisis manifests in the lack of available jobs despite sufficient qualifications. After graduating from high school, colleges and universities, the chances of a student finding jobs within reach of their qualifications are slim, since many organisations require prior job experience even for entry-level positions. This not only prevents students from becoming independent individuals, but also provides a significant obstacle to embarking on a career path in their various fields.

Despite the ANC calling the high unemployment rate a national disaster and the recent remarks by President Ramaphosa regarding lowering the barriers to employment, there has not been many positive outcomes in recent years. In fact, eNCAcommunity face the most violence and persecution. Many young queer individuals are living in fear of not being accepted by their family and local community.

A long journey and much work lie ahead to ready South Africa for the future — the youth of the country will have to overcome many barriers to individual and collective success. Reflecting on this past Youth Day, we have to keep the example of the Soweto students of 1976 in mind: we must relentlessly demand concrete steps be taken to ensure the success of every child, student and young professional, to ultimately move the country towards a bright future.

Author: Luke Waltham

Luke Waltham is a BA Law graduate at Stellenbosch University and is currently an Honours student. He is the former Chairperson of the