Rethinking Youth Development: Reflections from the YD Co-Lab Summit 2025
There are days in this work when the weight of it all, the scale of the challenges facing young people in our country, sits heavily on your shoulders. As Managing Director of YD Co-Lab, I’ve had many of those days. But on the 29th of October, during our second
annual Summit, that weight shifted. The heaviness turned into motion. Hope found its velocity.
The theme for the day, “Rethink and explore,” wasn’t just a catchy phrase for the programme. It was a genuine invitation, a call to sit with the discomfort of knowing that while we’ve done much, we still have a long way to go. It was a challenge to dream of an ecosystem where opportunity isn’t a lucky break, but something every young South African is born entitled to.
From the moment people began to arrive, you could feel something different in the air. The room wasn’t buzzing with formalities or polite applause; it was alive with purpose. You could see it in the eyes of the funders, youth leaders, and partners gathered there: people who carry the same burden, but also the same fierce hope. That’s the beauty of YD Co-Lab, it’s not just an initiative; it’s a heartbeat. And that day, it beat stronger than ever.
From Charity to Dignity
If there was one big shift that defined the day, it was this: we are moving from a mindset of charity to one of dignity.
For too long, our sector has been scattered, sometimes even competing when we should be connecting. But at the Summit, I felt a new spirit of togetherness. During the panels, I heard a shared language emerging; a Common Agenda that’s beginning to take shape. Funders spoke about co-creation instead of control. Organisations spoke about shared measurement instead of siloed success. It felt like the pieces were finally clicking into place.
And at the heart of it all was something deeply inspiring: Youth Ownership. We’re moving beyond token participation. No more “for the youth, without the youth.” Now, it’s about co-creating with them, building real pathways that track a young person’s journey from birth to employment. That’s dignity. That’s systemic change. That’s the kind of long-term vision that gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
The Passion That Powers Us
When someone asked, “What gives you hope?” the answers didn’t come from strategy documents or funding pledges. They came from the people in the room: the practitioners, the mentors, the community builders, and the everyday heroes who refuse to give up on our youth.
In a country where despair can so easily take root, these people keep planting seeds of possibility. They are the engines that drive this work forward. They remind us that hope isn’t a plan, it’s a force. It’s in every handshake between organisations, finding new ways to collaborate. It’s in every young person who finally gets that first chance.
And so we must keep asking ourselves why we do this work, not to justify it, but to keep our hearts aligned with our purpose. Because if we lose sight of the “why,” we risk losing the very fire that started this journey.
Our Pledge: Speedy Collaboration
As I reflect on that day, one thing is clear: the spirit of the Summit cannot stay locked inside that room. The clock is ticking for our young people. The gap between a conference conversation and a real job opportunity must close, and it must close fast.
So here’s my personal commitment, and the call I extend to all our partners:
Let’s move with speedy collaboration.
Let’s turn ideas into action. Let’s make it structurally easy, not luck, for a young person to find meaningful work. Let’s ensure that each of us leaves with the four pillars of collaboration ready to deploy: capacity, resources, partnerships, and funding.
We’ve seen what’s possible when we come together. We’ve recognised our collective power.