Every year, Youth Day invites South Africans to pause and reflect. And this year I have been asked to write a greeting that speaks to us all.

As a young South African It reminds me that young people are still at the heart of change in South Africa, from the brave students of 1976 to the quiet fighters of today.

But for me, it’s also personal. It’s a reminder that we’re not just here to inherit the future, we have a role in shaping it too!

And if I had to define that future? It would be bold, and active.

To be young in South Africa is complex. We are often spoken about in terms of numbers: youth unemployment, youth violence, youth disillusionment. But we are so much more than headlines. We are ideas in motion, we are resilience personified. We’re not finished, we’re becoming.

I think of creators like Siphelele Sibiya, better known as Popi of The Popi Show, a small-town girl from the Eastern Cape who one day decided she was quitting her day time job, taking a road trip to Ghana and has never looked back. She has been traveling the world ever since and is currently in the Gabonese forest, “in search of the elephants”. She’s made her life the story, and her story the movement. That’s youth in action: curious, courageous, uncontained by borders. Youth is possibility, and possibility is power.

To be Bold is to Disrupt the narrative
Boldness doesn’t always roar, sometimes it whispers. I see boldness in young South Africans who turn passion into purpose, who rest without guilt and choose joy in a world that tells them to stay tired. Being bold is the choice to live a life that feels good on the inside, not just one that looks impressive from the outside. It’s saying I want more and then building it.

We also find it in everyday disruptors, the young woman who builds a business from nothing, the friend who seeks therapy, the man who redefines what masculinity looks like in his community. Now that’s bold!

Active is in Movement as a lifestyle
“Active” might be my favourite word in this context. It’s physical, yes but also emotional, mental, civic. To be active is to move, to choose energy over stagnation.

Popi recently said motion creates momentum. It stuck with me. Because being active isn’t just about fitness, it’s about refusing to stand still when the world needs us to step up. It’s starting where you are and using what you have (no excuses). It’s how I show up in my own life staying mindful of my health and being intentional in the work I do. Activity is where intention meets effort. And in a world that often numbs and distracts, choosing to be present and proactive is radical.

So this Youth Day, don’t just look back, look forward. Nurture your mind, move your body and create your own rhythm. Start where you are, and build something only you can.

Because what’s the point of breaking barriers if we don’t live long enough (or well enough) to enjoy the freedom?