For Botlhale Boikanyo, becoming a United Nations youth champion is more than another accolade, it is a full-circle moment for the little girl who first discovered the power of her voice through poetry.
The South African poet, actress and youth advocate has been appointed the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Regional International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Champion for East and Southern Africa.
Reflecting on the milestone, Boikanyo said she could never have imagined that the voice she found through poetry as a young girl would eventually become a platform to serve and advocate for young people across an entire region.
“What a full circle moment,” she wrote while announcing the appointment.
Boikanyo said the new role was not simply about the recognition that comes with a UN appointment, but about the responsibility to use her platform to amplify the voices, dreams and lived experiences of young people.
She intends to champion a future where young people, particularly women and girls, have the freedom, opportunities and support to determine their own futures.
Another chapter in an unconventional career
The appointment represents another chapter in an unconventional career that began when Boikanyo was still a child.
She first captured the country’s attention through her spoken-word poetry and went on to win SA’s Got Talent at the age of 11. Her early success established her as a formidable young performer, but she has since expanded her career well beyond the stage.
Boikanyo has worked as an actress, presenter and poet while continuing to advocate for young people and the power of creative expression.
Now, her audience is set to extend beyond South Africa.
Advocating for meaningful youth participation
In her new role, Boikanyo says she will engage with young people across East and Southern Africa, listen to their lived experiences and advocate for meaningful youth participation.
She will also champion issues including young people’s rights, dignity, bodily autonomy and their potential to shape the future.
It is a particularly significant progression for someone whose public identity was formed through storytelling.
Before she had a global platform, poetry gave Boikanyo a way to communicate ideas and emotions that mattered to her. Today, she is taking that same storytelling philosophy into a regional advocacy role.
“I can’t help but think about the little girl who first discovered her voice through poetry,” she said.
That reflection perhaps best captures the significance of the appointment.
Boikanyo is no longer simply using her voice to tell her own story. She is stepping into a position where she can help create space for thousands of other young people to tell theirs.
- Botlhale Boikanyo has been appointed as the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Regional International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Champion for East and Southern Africa.
- She first gained national attention in South Africa through her spoken-word poetry and won SA’s Got Talent at the age of 11.
- Boikanyo’s career has expanded from poetry to acting, presenting, and youth advocacy.
- In her new role, she plans to advocate for the rights, dignity, bodily autonomy, and meaningful participation of young people across East and Southern Africa.
- Boikanyo views the appointment as a full-circle moment, taking her storytelling skills from personal expression to regional youth advocacy.
For Botlhale
“What a full circle moment,” she wrote while announcing the appointment.
Now, her audience is set to extend beyond
In her new role,
It is a particularly significant progression for someone whose public identity was formed through storytelling.
Before she had a global platform, poetry gave
“I can’t help but think about the little girl who first discovered her voice through poetry,” she said.
