South Africa’s Democracy Turns 31: Where Is the Economic Justice for Our Youth?
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Sechaba Motsieloa, Managing Executive, Empowaworx
27 April 1994 — Freedom Day marks the moment South Africa exhaled: the day we chose democracy, dignity, and hope. Thirty-one years later, we honour the courage and unity displayed in 1994. Yet, we must also acknowledge how much work remains to build a truly just and equal South Africa.
According to the World Bank, South Africa is the most unequal country in the world. The scars of apartheid continue to shape every opportunity — or lack thereof — and economic freedom remains a luxury not enjoyed by all. Freedom promised opportunity, but for many young people, reality paints a harsher picture.
Today, over 60% of young South Africans aged 15 to 24 are unemployed — one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally. Only six out of ten children who start school reach matric. And even then, the dream of a post-school qualification feels painfully out of reach. In 2025 alone, four million young people applied to universities nationwide, but just over 200,000 were accepted. The odds reveal a gap — but also the potential for meaningful progress.
At EmpowaYouth, we believe Freedom Day must be more than a date on the calendar. It must be a rallying cry for economic justice.
True Freedom means:
• Access to quality educationthat opens real pathways beyond matric, empowering young people to thrive.
• Opportunities for skills development and entrepreneurship, giving youth the tools they need to build their futures.
• Policies that drive meaningful economic transformation — not just promises, but tangible progress that creates jobs and uplifts communities.
• Support structures that nurture talent everywhere, ensuring every young person — from rural villages to urban centres — has access to platforms that elevate and empower.
Because the hard truth is that freedom feels hollow when you’re hungry. It feels empty when you’re unemployed. It feels cruel when you’re left behind.
“When an old man dies, it is a whole library that burns.” — African proverb.
What burns when we kill the dreams and hopes of our youth?
The potential of our society, our competitiveness, our desire to be more.
But here’s the hope: young South Africans are resilient, bold, creative, and hungry for change. They don’t want handouts — they want opportunities. They want to build and lead.
This Freedom Day, let us honour their fight — not with empty speeches, but with action.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African proverb.
We cannot afford to leave our youth behind if we want a prosperous future.
Short-term, individual, or exclusive group gains at the expense of our collective prosperity are a betrayal of our Ubuntu — I am because we are.
As we gear up to bring tangible opportunities closer to young people in Ekurhuleni at theEmpowaYouth in Ekurhuleni Summit from 26–28 May 2025 at Living Waters Bible Church in Thembisa, our mission remains clear:
To unlock doors that have been closed for far too long. To ignite youth voices, fuel their ambitions, and forge real pathways to the economic freedom they deserve — not someday, but now.
Thirty-one years into democracy, the question remains:
Where is the economic justice for South Africa’s youth?
Symbolic freedom is not enough. Young people are not pleading for recognition — they are demanding real support, real resources, and real belief in their potential.
Until then, our work is not done.
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