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IOL News
7 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
Mashatile urges South African youth to seize opportunities for economic transformation
Addressing the G20 Roundtable, Deputy President Paul Mashatile urges investment in youth capabilities, highlighting the need for shared power, digital innovation, and sustainable development driven by Africa's young population. Image: HigherEducationZA / X Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged South African youth to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the post-1994 democratic breakthrough. Mashatile addressed the high-level G20 intergenerational roundtable on Friday. 'The G20 provides South Africa with a strategic opportunity to frame global policy discussions around the capabilities of young people as agents of inclusive economic transformation and sustainability,' he said. Mashatile said it was necessary for him to acknowledge that youth around the world, including South Africa, are confronted with a complicated terrain of potential and difficulties. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'Indeed, we have achieved political freedom, yet economic freedom remains elusive. Hence, the involvement of young people in tackling current issues such as unemployment, inequality, and poverty remains as crucial as during the apartheid era. The question that confronts us, therefore, is how can we further involve young people in addressing these challenges?' he asked. According to Mashatile, the country needs to create opportunities for meaningful participation in solutions and decision-making processes. This involves ensuring that individuals have access to education and opportunities that improve their skills, support youth-led initiatives, and promote inclusive economic growth. 'We need to turn our attention to youth capabilities and development to empower young people to unleash their untapped potential. When we invest in youth development, we tap into this potential and convert it into a force for positive change and sustainable development,' he said. Mashatile was speaking under the theme 'Building Youth Capabilities for a Developmental State: Advancing Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability', which he stated was an imperative. 'Investing in the capabilities of young people is essential for achieving meaningful solidarity, enduring equality, and sustainable development. This presents an opportunity for the African people to take charge of their development. 'It is a call to reshape the global order toward justice, equity, and sustainability through the leadership and capabilities of our youth,' Mashatile explained. He called on the youth to consistently devise strategies to advocate for change. Mashatile said that in the past, the youth led protests and organised themselves, and frequently opposed the status quo and strived for a more promising future. He promised that the government would anchor youth inclusion in every major pillar of South Africa's G20 presidency. 'As South Africa prepares for the G20 Leaders' Summit in November, we do so with the consciousness that global leadership must be grounded in domestic credibility and continental solidarity. 'The developmental state we seek to build is not a theoretical construct; it must be a living architecture built on the capabilities, aspirations, and contributions of its young people,' said the deputy president.
IOL News
8 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
Why youth inclusion is crucial for South Africa's future: Insights from Mashatile at the G20
Addressing the G20 Roundtable, Deputy President Paul Mashatile urges investment in youth capabilities, highlighting the need for shared power, digital innovation, and sustainable development driven by Africa's young population. Image: HigherEducationZA/X Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called for the urgent inclusion of young people in building a capable, ethical, and developmental state. Mashatile was delivering the keynote address at the G20 High-Level Intergenerational Roundtable in Sandton on Friday, where he highlighted the importance of empowering youth to lead economic transformation, social development, and global engagement. Having recently returned from a working visit to the Russian Federation, he stated that the trip offered valuable insights into strengthening South Africa's bilateral ties with Russia and reaffirming historical solidarity. He noted that institutions such as Saint Petersburg University are playing a role in people-to-people relations by committing to teaching South African languages such as isiZulu and isiXhosa. He also praised Russia's progress in digital and artificial intelligence capabilities, urging that "we too in South Africa must invest in this area of work because we are living in the knowledge economy, and it is a requirement for us to be globally competitive." Highlighting South Africa's leadership in the G20 and BRICS, Mashatile said: 'This presents a collective moment for us to re-frame global discourse. A moment to insist that Africa's youth are not passive recipients of aid or policy, but agents of innovation, enterprise, and governance.' He stressed that South Africa's future depends on a youth-led approach to development. 'Young people can build the Africa we want,' he said. He aligned his message with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and its focus on inclusive growth through youth empowerment. He hailed the ratification of the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area as 'a decisive policy action that signals our intent to mainstream gender and youth equity within intra-African trade policy.' Mashatile warned that without transforming Africa's demographic dividend into inclusive growth, the continent risks stalling its potential. 'We understand that we need young people to meaningfully build capable, ethical, and developmental states. We must integrate youth into national and continental planning frameworks, not just as beneficiaries but also as co-architects of development,' he said. Referring to historical figures such as Hector Pieterson and Solomon Mahlangu, Mashatile drew a connection between the youth's role in South Africa's liberation struggle and their relevance in addressing today's pressing issues like unemployment, inequality, and poverty. 'Economic freedom remains elusive,' he said. He added that creating opportunities for youth participation in decision-making is now a national imperative. 'We need to turn our attention to youth capabilities and development to empower young people to unleash their untapped potential.' He also pointed to the government's efforts to support young people through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, and platforms like He acknowledged challenges such as red tape and regulatory burdens that hinder youth entrepreneurship and access to opportunities, saying, 'The Presidency has established a specialised unit focused on enhancing the business climate by addressing regulatory obstacles.' The time has come for us to move beyond inclusion as a moral goal and make it a measurable outcome,' said Mashatile. Reiterating the importance of action, he said the government is scaling up youth-focused programmes including employment initiatives, technical training, and support for youth-led enterprises. 'Let the G20 remember that Africa is young!' he said. 'South Africa is ready, and we want young people to take the lead in the developmental and transformation agenda.' As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Leaders' Summit in November, Mashatile said South Africa's presidency of the G20 presents a unique opportunity to mainstream the youth agenda in global policy. 'We will anchor youth inclusion in every major pillar of our G20 Presidency, from climate finance and trade facilitation to digital transformation and skills mobility,' he said. [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
