PCC
Kwanele Mtawa|Published
As our country commemorates Youth Month – marking half a century since the retold story of June 16, when my parent was a toddler, and I, a far-fetched thought, I ask myself a difficult but necessary question: where do I and many of my peers fit into the country’s future.
I envy the tales of youth heroism, and I marvel at the pride that it is being told, but I equally feel isolated as I notice that my new story, the story of climate change and our future does not feature.
Youth Day was a defining moment as history tell us, and testimony is the day has been recognised by the African Union as the Day of the African Child.
Whilst we hold high the contribution and the epoch-changing struggles of fifty years ago – we need to redefine our new frontier for the next decades- and that frontline is climate change and its impact upon child and youth rights and opportunities – and worse, their future
Youth represent the most vulnerable to the long-term impacts of the climate crisis and yet a powerful driving force for global climate action.
Across Africa and globally, young activists and innovators are reshaping policy, championing environmental justice, and building resilient green economies.
Much has been said about the Climate Change Act, the Just Energy Transition, and South Africa’s commitments under the Paris Agreement. Yet, as implementation gathers pace, there is a danger that young people remain observers rather than participants in one of the biggest economic transformations in our democracy.
But legislation alone cannot deliver a just transition, it will require people, skills, innovation, and leadership. Most importantly, it will require young people.
South Africa’s youth unemployment rate remains among the highest in the world.
At the same time, the transition to a greener economy is creating a demand for new skills in renewable energy, energy efficiency, green manufacturing, sustainable agriculture, electric mobility, water management, environmental restoration, and climate adaptation.
The challenge is not whether these opportunities will emerge. The challenge is whether young South Africans will be prepared and empowered to seize them. If we fail to invest in youth skills and participation now, we risk importing expertise while exporting opportunity.
A transition that excludes young people cannot be called “just”.
Too often, youth are mentioned in policy documents as beneficiaries of programmes designed by others.
That approach is outdated. Young people must be recognised as innovators, entrepreneurs, workers, researchers, community organisers, and decision-makers.
They should have a seat at the table when municipalities develop climate adaptation plans, when provinces establish emissions targets, and when industries map their transition pathways.
The Climate Change Act places significant responsibilities on provincial and local government to develop climate responses suited to their realities.
These efforts will only succeed if they harness the energy, creativity, and local knowledge of young people. Across South Africa, young entrepreneurs are already developing solutions in recycling, clean energy, sustainable food production, waste management, and climate-smart technologies.
The role of government should be to remove barriers, provide financing, and create enabling conditions for these initiatives to flourish.
Skills are the bridge between climate ambition and jobs
The green economy will not automatically create inclusive growth. Skills development will determine whether the benefits are broadly shared or concentrated among a few.
Training programmes must be aligned with the sectors expected to grow over the coming decades. Technical and vocational institutions should expand programmes linked to renewable energy installation, battery technologies, grid maintenance, green construction, environmental monitoring, and sustainable agriculture.
Importantly, climate education should not be limited to scientists and engineers. There will also be opportunities for artisans, technicians, data specialists, project managers, financial professionals, and community development practitioners.
As labour representatives within the climate dialogue have argued, skills development should be treated as economic infrastructure because it underpins long-term competitiveness and employment creation.
The just transition is often discussed in national terms, but its success will be determined locally. Climate resilience projects such as restoring wetlands, rehabilitating river systems, improving waste management, upgrading municipal infrastructure, and protecting vulnerable communities from floods and droughts can simultaneously address environmental challenges and create employment opportunities.
These programmes are particularly important for young people in rural areas, townships, and former mining communities where economic opportunities are often limited.
The youth of 1976 challenged a system that denied them a future. Today’s generation confronts a different reality, but the demand remains the same: meaningful inclusion in shaping the country’s destiny.
Youth Month is therefore not only a time to honour the sacrifices of 1976, but to also recognise that today’s generation faces a different struggle: overcoming unemployment, exclusion, and economic inequality.
As we celebrate, we should commit to one simple principle: every climate policy, every transition plan, and every green investment must answer the question, “How will this create opportunities for young people?”
Kwanele Mtawa- Bachelor of Arts in Media, Communications and Culture (BA MCC) and Honours in Media Studies ( Nelson Mandela University ) and a Youth Intern at the Presidential Climate Commisison.
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