Youth Day Commemoration to Focus on Sports and Opportunities for Development

The 2024 Youth Day and Youth Month celebrations will highlight the Sport for Youth Development (S4YD) agenda, using sport as a tool for social cohesion and solidarity in South Africa.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, the Presidency, and the Limpopo Provincial Government, is set to host the commemoration of Youth Day on Sunday. This year marks the 48th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 Soweto student uprising, a significant protest against the Bantu Education Act and apartheid laws.

The 2024 Youth Day and Youth Month celebrations will highlight the Sport for Youth Development (S4YD) agenda, using sport as a tool for social cohesion and solidarity in South Africa. This year’s theme, “Actively advancing socioeconomic gains of our democracy,” gains added significance as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s freedom.

NYDA Executive Chairperson, Asanda Luwaca, emphasized that this year’s Youth Month will focus on sports as a means of youth and national development. Various sporting activities are planned across all levels of government to commemorate Youth Month, promoting sport as a transformative tool for building an inclusive society.

Among the key events, the NYDA will host the National Youth Day Careers and Opportunities Expo in Polokwane. This expo aims to provide young people with access to opportunities for study, volunteerism, service, employment, and entrepreneurship. Luwaca noted that the approach has shifted post-COVID-19 to large-scale career and opportunities expos, which resonate more with young people’s interests. The expo will feature over 110 opportunity providers from the private sector, government departments, civil society, academia, and development partners, and will be held at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium from 9am.

Additional events in Limpopo include a certification ceremony for young welders, hosted by the NYDA in collaboration with the Department of Correctional Services and the Department of Labour and Employment. This ceremony will take place at Fhulufelo Secondary School, where graduates will receive start-up toolboxes for their enterprises and cooperatives. On June 15, the NYDA will also support the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture at the annual Creative and Cultural Industries Youth Expo at the University of Limpopo in Mankweng.

These events aim to provide young people with platforms to access development opportunities and become active participants in the economy.