Sebokeng, Gauteng | 20–24 April 2026
South Africa is facing a defining economic challenge as youth unemployment continues to rise across the country. With the national youth unemployment rate estimated at 41%, and some communities in the Vaal Triangle experiencing rates exceeding 90%, the continued exclusion of young people from the economy is increasingly viewed as a serious threat to the country’s long-term economic stability and growth.
What was once largely regarded as a social issue has now become a critical economic concern. When millions of young people remain outside the productive economy, the ripple effects are felt across businesses, labour markets, innovation capacity, and consumer growth.
Against this backdrop, Vaal EmpowaYouth Week 2026 will take place from 20–24 April 2026 in Sebokeng, positioning the Vaal Triangle as a national hub for solutions focused on Powering South Africa’s Youth Economy.
From Youth Inclusion to Economic Participation
The week-long initiative is designed as a national platform for youth economic inclusion, aimed at moving beyond discussions toward tangible economic participation for young people.
Organisers say the platform will function as a youth economic activation engine, created to transform youth potential into measurable outcomes such as employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, and accredited skills development.
Through coordinated public-private partnerships, the programme will connect young people directly to:
- Employment pathways
- Accredited training and skills development
- Enterprise and supply chain opportunities
- Innovation and technology ecosystems
- Access to funding and investment opportunities
The platform is structured to ensure that outcomes are tracked, verified, and reported, reinforcing a commitment to accountability and measurable impact.
Five Key Sectors Shaping the Future Economy
The programme will run across five themed days, each focused on industries expected to play a major role in the future economy:
- Health and the Care Economy
- Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy
- Creative and Film Industries
- The Green Economy and Climate Innovation
- Entrepreneurship, Enterprise and Funding Ecosystems
Each sector will include live opportunity pipelines, connecting participants directly to job interviews, enterprise value chains, accredited training programmes, and investment networks.
A National Youth Economic Activation Platform
Organisers expect the event to bring together a broad coalition of stakeholders committed to expanding youth economic participation.
The programme will include:
- 50+ high-impact leadership dialogues
- 20+ experiential career and innovation zones
- 100+ public and private sector partners
The initiative is delivered by EmpowaYouth, a youth economic activation platform with more than a decade of experience working with young people across South Africa.
According to the organisation, its programmes have already achieved:
- 198,000+ young people reached nationwide
- 690 verified job placements
- 150 youth-led enterprises funded
- 2,000 accredited certifications delivered
Leadership Perspective
Founder and Executive Producer of EmpowaYouth, Simphiwe Masiza, says the scale of the youth unemployment crisis requires a new approach.
“Youth exclusion is now a direct threat to economic stability, market resilience, and long-term national competitiveness,” Masiza said.
“Vaal EmpowaYouth Week is not simply an event. It is a working economic engine designed to connect more than 10,000 young people to real opportunities while advancing our mission of powering South Africa’s youth economy through measurable outcomes.”
By bringing together government institutions, corporate leaders, investors, and young innovators, organisers believe the event will demonstrate how coordinated collaboration can accelerate youth participation in the economy.
The initiative also positions the Vaal Triangle as a national laboratory for youth economic participation, where policy, innovation, and partnerships converge to create sustainable economic opportunities for young people.
Learn More
A strategic overview of the EmpowaYouth platform can be viewed here:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUmVWtQwKd0
Website: https://empowayouth.co.za/
Media Enquiries
Sechaba Motsieloa
Managing Executive — EmpowaWorx
Tel: +27 11 482 7256
Email: sechaba@empowaworx.co.za
