Western Cape Government working to support youth through engagements

South Africa celebrates Youth Day on 16 June every year. While this is generally a day of upliftment for young people, the Western Cape Government has seen that there are high levels of disillusionment amongst the youth due to challenges such as unemployment. 

The Western Cape Government Transversal Youth Forum, convened by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), brings together diverse stakeholders to enrich and implement initiatives that empower the youth, ensuring a cohesive and impactful response to their needs. This forum acknowledges that any responses to meeting the challenges youth face needs to be informed by their voices and experiences.  

The WCG is organising a series of dialogues with youth to understand their current challenges as part of Youth Month 2023. It will also invite youth to co-create solutions to their challenges. This series of events is called “#ThethaYouth #PraatNou Campaign 2023”.  

The purpose of the campaign is to both create an inclusive platform for meaningful engagement with the youth of the Western Cape, providing an opportunity to better understand their current challenges, aspirations, and needs and to co-creation innovative solutions that directly address the challenges. These dialogues will be happening alongside a range of other activities to bring Youth Month alive across the province.

Premier Alan Winde will also be hosting a Youth Digicon on the 15th of June at 12pm with the aim of hearing directly from the youth. The young individuals are all taking part in education and internship opportunities offered by the provincial government, as part of the province’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for employment. It is an opportunity to engage young people on the challenges they have encountered and how the WCG is trying to create more opportunities for them as young people and how we can better support them so that they realise their full potential.

In addition to the work being done by the Youth Forum, DCAS is also running the following initiatives during this month:

- The Archives and Records Service started youth month with a bang, hosting an annual archives awareness week under the theme “Leave No One Behind: Archives in the Era of Artificial Intelligence”.  Youth as “digital natives” participated in various archives week programmes including a debate on the use of artificial intelligence.  Learners from various schools gained a broader understanding about archives and they are now aware of the importance of archives.   They were encouraged to visit the archives more often and make their families and communities aware about available resources.  They were also introduced to archives as a career path.  Approximately 225 learners and students were reached throughout the week.

- The department is supporting the hosting of a netball tournament for youth from KTC, Samora Machel, Strand and Nyanga on 16 June.

- The department is partnering with the South African Police Services (SAPS) to host a youth day event in Khayamandi. 

- Various displays, exhibitions, literature initiatives and outreach activities will be run at libraries across the province. Visit your local library to find out more.

- Museums across the province will be hosting youth day activities and exhibitions.

- YearBeyond is involved in activations in communities on 15 and 16 June and a Business breakfast in collaboration with the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Graduate School of Business (GSB) focusing on why youth employment is our collective responsibility and what companies can do to ensure youth succeed based on the lessons learnt around GenZ. 

- YearBeyond is being profiled at the Human Resource Development Council Provincial Coordination Forum (HRDPCF) on 14 June hosted by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. This meeting will also be a showcase of the work done in province and visit YearBeyond (DCAS) service sites in Malmesbury.

- YearBeyond will be participating in the DSD Career Expo in George on 16 June. 

The Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport and Cabinet lead for youth, Anroux Marais, said: “We are working hard to support our youth across the province to connect in safe spaces and to take steps towards successful futures. I am happy to know that we are listening to what youth have to say and unlocking their creativity to help us build a brighter future FOR YOUth.”