A green perspective from SA youth

YBT Executive Director, Bongiwe Beja-Ntsiko, on future-fit opportunities

At first glance, Youth Month gave our country’s young people little to celebrate this year. Off the back of the pandemic, the energy crisis and a soaring cost of living, they also experience South Africa’s record unemployment rate far more acutely than older age groups, despite Cabinet calling on society to “intensify efforts to ensure young people access opportunities which allow them to enter active participation in the economy”.

At the same time, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report confirms that African countries will bear the brunt of climate change, and the youth are expected to suffer the effects more significantly than other age groups.

How does one perceive such seemingly insurmountable odds in a more positive light? Or begin to make a tangible difference? Firstly, by taking to heart the words of Madiba, that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Inspired by this perspective, our team and partners at Youth Bridge Trust have been bringing youth development and green economy opportunities to local youths for many years, and we are humbly optimistic that our work is bringing hope, and a brighter future, to many of the programme participants.

Exposing youth from underserved communities to sustainable development knowledge has multiple benefits. From the outset, they begin to understand and think critically about environmental problems and solutions. In addition to developing sustainability literacy, out-of-school youth in our Green Economy Academy tend to improve their academic literacy and develop a passion for learning and entrepreneurship.

The six-week online programme familiarises participants with concepts such as sustainable waste, water and energy management, while the eight-week business accelerator guides them through ideation and pitching of new business concepts. Together with Donor’s Den competitions and expert masterclasses, these empower participants with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to proactively address climate change and build sustainable start-ups that safeguard public health, protect natural resources, support energy conservation efforts, and engage in the movement towards a more just and sustainable future.

Finally, our Green Careers Development Programme goes a long way towards building a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of a low-carbon economy in South Africa and beyond. Watch out world: our youth-owned green enterprises will be entering supply chains near you, servicing corporates and industries as they move towards ESG and net-zero targets.

About Youth Bridge Trust:

Youth Bridge Trust is a Public Benefit Organisation with a mission to equip Africa’s unemployed youth with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to fulfil their potential in the future of work, while contributing to the advancement of the continent’s Green Economy. This mission is guided by its vision of building a prosperous future for Africa and its people. More information is available at youthbridgetrust.org.

About Bongiwe Beja-Ntsiko - Executive Director of Youth Bridge Trust:

Bongiwe is a Chartered Development Finance Analyst (CDFA) by profession, and holds an MCom Development Finance degree (cum laude) from the UCT Graduate School of Business. She was named Top 200 Young South African by Mail & Guardian in 2022 in recognition of her work. In 2018 she was voted as the 11th Most Influential Young South African by Avance Media where she won the Overall Category of Personal Development and Academia.

Bongiwe is an experienced executive within youth development. She has been an Exco member and held the position of Business Development and Strategy Lead at the Youth Employment Service (YES), an initiative launched by President Ramaphosa to curb youth unemployment in South Africa. Bongiwe was also General Manager at Silulo Ulutho Technologies (Silulo), a technology and education social enterprise that has significant impact in the township and rural communities across South Africa.

Bongiwe serves as a Youth Trustee Fellow on the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF), a Non-Executive Director of Regive Capital and as a Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Development Finance (CIDEF). Through her work she wants to develop the continent by playing a significant role in unlocking value and growth through social impact.

Media contact:

Julia Tew, julia@thecircularstage.com; +27 83 456 8912