From protest to purpose: The ongoing struggle of South African youth
Joseph Cloete is MSc Candidate in Petroleum Geology University of the Western Cape
Image: Supplied
To me, Youth Day means more than a celebration or an opportunity to take a day off from fighting our academic battles - it serves as powerful reminder of the boldness and resilience of the young people of 1976.
They stood firm in the face of oppression, risking their lives for dignity, freedom, and access to quality education. Today, we no longer fight the same fight they fought on the 16th of June 1976 but we fight still, every single day of the year. We battle silently in lecture halls, in overcrowded taxis and in job queues.
Many of us face a different battle, looking at my own life these battles include: resisting the pull of crime, fast money, and the pressure to make it out of places like my own rural community where gangsterism and despair often seem like the roads available. Our struggle wears no uniform, but it is stitched into our decisions, our debts and our dreams. Lastly, I see Youth Day as a point of introspection to reflect and examine my mindset, my intentions and question myself on whether I am truly living in a way that honours the sacrifices of the youth of 1976 and building on the future that they could only dream of.
If I could address the youth of 1976, I would say: 'Thank you. You have shown us that courage doesn't wait for permission. Your legacy is not just one of protest, but of purpose and we owe it to you to live intentionally. Your sacrifice paved the way for generations like mine to walk into classrooms, universities, laboratories and boardrooms. Because of you, our voices matter in spaces and platforms that was once closed to us, and now it is up to us to use it wisely.'
In 2025, opportunities for young people have expanded in many ways. We are able to study further, lead projects, build businesses, travel, and connect globally. However, access remains unequal. Many young South Africans, especially in under-resourced communities, are still shut out from opportunities due to poverty, poor schooling, or lack of support.
The fight for fairness is far from over and this is where our generation must step in. And despite our degrees, many of us sit at home scrolling through job posts that ask for up to five years' experience for an entry-level position. So, we study further, tutor, teach online at night, and start small businesses. We are not lazy. We are not unmotivated. We are simply tired not of trying, but of pushing against systems that won't move. Sometimes, the expectations placed on young South Africans can be crushing. One failure and it feels like you've disappointed generations. For many of us, success isn't about pride – it is all about survival.
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Today, activism lives in resilience. It lives in the youth who refuse to stop applying regardless of the hundreds of 'we regret to inform you' outcomes, in the youth who share bursary links and internship opportunities in WhatsApp groups, who continue to mentor and help others despite their own setbacks and challenges. I have learned that activism is not always loud, it is not always violent. Sometimes it is a quiet, daily decision to lead with integrity, to show up even when no one is watching and more importantly to stay hopeful in a country that makes hope hard to hold.
In geology, we are taught that pressure creates diamonds and that history carves its marks deep into the hardest layers of the Earth, just as it does into the lives of people. We remember the 16th of June 1976 because they marched so we could reach higher heights – scientists, scholars, storytellers of stone and struggle. Now it is our turn to fight, not with stones and other weapons but through study, solidarity and the belief that we still matter. Because we do. We always have.
* Cloete is the Golden Key President. Golden Key is the world's largest collegiate honour society, recognising high-achieving students and professionals across all disciplines. It focuses on three key pillars: academic excellence, leadership, and service. Membership is by invitation only and is extended to the top 15% of university students.
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