Sicelo Bhengu was a deputy head prefect of a prestigious school and, naturally, when he matriculated there were expectations about his career choice. It came as a disappointment to some when he chose teaching as a career. But the disappointment did not deter him from...

Xolane Ngobozana is the president of the Donate A School Bag campaign, which started in 2015 to help disadvantaged learners by donating school bags, sanitary towels, foods and clothes to learners and families. So far the campaign has assisted more than 6 000 learners....

Many battles for improving the lives of those around you are won in the courtroom. That’s the thinking of Daveyton local Tsatseng Rantsho, who’s hoping to use his passion and education to provide assistance to those who need it most. Rantsho is a candidate attorney at...

Zwoluga Mutangwa was born and raised in Tshidimbini in Limpopo, a rural setting which would foreshadow his future endeavours. A diligent student, he attended Wits University in Johannesburg before being financially and academically excluded, forcing him to return...

Zama Mthunzi is a social justice activist who works to ensure that young people are not locked out of job opportunities. Mthunzi uses radio and television to spread the message of education. In a country with more than 50% youth employment, Mthunzi believes in using...

At a young age of 28, Dr Lerato Mokoena embodies the ancient Hebrew scripture that teaches us that “an intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” It all began in 2012 when Mokoena began her studies in Theology at the University of...

After failing his matric in 2011, Qinisani Nhlakanipho has picked himself up and now focuses his energies in things that matter the most to him. He says he failed his matric because he could not find the right balance between his social life and his studies. But,...

Equal and accurate representation of black queer people is the force that drives the activism of writer and poet Esihle Lupindo. Lupindo completed his undergraduate and honours degree in sociology at Rhodes University. He is studying towards his masters. His research...

Nkhensani Mogale began her career as a part-time lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, and has been consistently breaking new ground ever since. In 2014, she became the first black female lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (previously called...

Tinyiko Simbine's proudest moment was when GirlCoders partnered with a British tech giant in 2019 and hosted a hackathon, which led to eight participants being offered permanent jobs in the United Kingdom. Simbine, who has a Bcom from the University of Pretoria, wants...

As the chairperson of the LD Molapo Foundation, Lebohang David Molapo has made it his mission to drive others to success: “To be where I am today, I was inspired by someone who came from a similar background as mine to achieve greatness. Therefore I also want to be an...

Transforming the status quo through youth development and education has to start from the ground up, and requires passionate and dedicated individuals. Individuals such as Katlego Thwane, teacher and founding chief executive of the Atlegang Bana Foundation, an...

Vuyolwethu Pakade founded Foonda Technology Solutions to help make tertiary education more accessible for young South Africans. There are countless obstacles that impede the progress of learners, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. This led Pakade to...

“Your passions are the biggest drivers of your success”, according to social entrepreneur, educationist and ambassador for change, Ntsako Mhlanga. The 21-year-old’s contributions to the education sector has changed many lives for the better, and she’s using every...

It takes a bright and dedicated mind to be championing the plight of the youth in academics while still being young enough to be a student yourself. With only 21 years under his belt, Mpho Nkake has taken up that responsibility, working with several organisations to...

To take on full responsibility of a school at the age of 28 would be a daunting task for anyone, but when LEAP Science and Maths School in Linbro Park, Johannesburg, achieved a 100% matric pass rate in her first year as principal, Asanda Sigigaba’s decision to step...

“It’s the behind-the-scenes work we don’t get to see that makes the show end in a standing ovation. Sometimes the most vital jobs aren’t those in the spotlight.” As the youth development and education co-ordinator at Cape Town Opera, Madre Loubser understands this...

Commercial pilot Boitumelo Katisi got her pilot’s license at the end of 2018 and became a recipient for the Outstanding Contribution to Aviation in South Africa award at the Civil Aviation Industry Awards a year later. On her birthday, she hosted the first aviation...

Mukundi Lambani caught the producer bug in 2010 when she began producing the international 48 Hour Film Project. At only 23, she bought the rights to produce the film festival in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Gaborone. The initiative created opportunities for...

As the youth development and education coordinator at the Cape Town Opera, Masixole Makwetu gives children from various backgrounds in the Western Cape a holistic introduction to opera. The programmes make the arts accessible to young talent and fosters an environment...

Some stars shine brighter than others. Their brightness is a factor of how much energy they put out and how far away they are. Thivhafuni Wisdom Radzilani started You Are a Star to give young people in Radzilani, a village in Limpopo, a space to improve their English...

Sinakekelwe Nkwanyana has carved out an academic niche that she hopes may better inform how we understand masculinity in South Africa. Currently completing her PhD in public health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, she dismisses the notion that men can be seen as a...

Siseko H Kumalo does not want to live a mediocre life, so he makes sure he is not complacent. He also works to give the world the tools to do better, to care for the marginalised and to think deeply about the disenfranchised. He founded the Journal of Decolonising...

Sarah Madingwana is the co-founder of the Rudo Institute: a non-profit higher education institution based in the Ekurhuleni-based township Daveyton. She and her partner built the institute after seeing how inaccessible tertiary education was, especially for people in...

Charmaine Maphutha established Bopedi Hope Foundation with two other women and together they provide school shoes, clothing, toiletries, sanitary towels and other necessities to girls in need. Their goals include providing free sanitary towels in all public spaces....

Anza Tshipetane is the founder and chief executive of the Bright Young Leadership Initiative, a nonprofit organisation founded to empower young people from disadvantaged communities. Its aim is to help them to realise their qualities and their ability to become...

In her research and teaching, Nosipho Mngomezulu strives to decolonise and transform academic approaches to projects with the aim of developing methods to better equip students for the challenges of the 21st century in Africa. As an anthropology lecturer at the...

Thanduxolo Mkoyi is the managing director of Eyentsatshane For the Little Ones Early Childhood Development Project, an initiative that aims to develop child literacy in Khayelitsha. The organisation helps to develop children’s vocabularies by promoting reading,...

Lehlohonolo Ntlatlapo is passionate about health education and youth development. He started the non-profit organisation Help Me Up Foundation as a response to the plight of disadvantaged students who struggle to get into institutions of higher learning due to lack of...

"When you see someone in uniform, it’s often difficult to imagine the life they lead beyond their occupation. Ntokozo Ndlovu spends his days working as a soldier in the South African National Defence Force, a job made all the more difficult with the onset of the...