This year South Africa celebrates 25 years of democracy and 43 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising during which young people took to the streets demanding a better and more equitable life. It’s no wonder then that Youth Month is one of South Africa’s most significant periods with a focus on youth issues, which also causes government, business and society at large to think of how it can improve the lives of young people.
According to media research by Ornico, there is an overarching sentiment that government, civil society and business need to collaborate more effectively to improve the lives of young people.
Thousands of mentions from Twitter, online news and traditional media show perceptions of hurdles that prevent the youth from being employed, educated or skilled. These include work experience, the high costs of education and other factors that are cited as major contributors to the rise in unemployment.Political parties and their various commemorative events make a significant showing in the research with the EFF, DA and the ANC vying for the top spot in media coverage. Opposition party leaders Mmusi Maimane and Julius Malema each appear alongside their parties, unlike President Cyril Ramaphosa whom media mentions associate more with government than the ANC. Calls by EFF president, Julius Malema, for apartheid era leaders to ask for forgiveness, caught the attention of both the media and social media users.
Business also received significant coverage with MTN, Engen, DSTV, Garmin, Uber South Africa, VW South Africa, MultiChoice, Shoprite and others being among the most mentioned brands for their initiatives aimed towards youth development. Most of these mentioned appeared on Youth Day (June 16) with various initiatives taking place across the country.
Download the report by Ornico here.
