As South Africa commemorates Youth Day, the revolutionary spirit of 1976 pulses through a new generation of change-makers. But today’s young activists aren’t just marching in the streets – they’re commanding boardrooms, global summits, and policy tables that shape the future of nations.
Lerai Rakoditsoe is one of those young people standing at the forefront of this revolution.
She has just been appointed co-chair of the Y20 South Africa 2025 – the official youth summit that will feed directly into this year’s G20 meetings.
As one of the few young Africans shaping G20-level policy, the 22-year-old University of Pretoria student leads global negotiations on “Meaningful Youth Engagement & Reforming Multilateralism”, positioning herself as a bridge between Global South youth and world leaders.
“The youth of 1976 didn’t wait for permission. They saw injustice and moved.
“That same fire lives in us, but it shows up differently,” Rakoditsoe reflects.
“Some of us are in the streets, some on stages, some in boardrooms, and some at summits like the G20. For me, continuing that legacy means disrupting from within and making sure that young people, especially from the Global South, aren’t just spoken about in policy documents but are speaking for themselves.”
Her appointment as Y20 co-chair isn’t just ceremonial, it’s revolutionary. The Y20 serves as the official youth voice feeding into G20 decisions, meaning Rakoditsoe will literally be representing global youth to world leaders ahead of the summit at year’s end.
Her message is uncompromising: “Nothing about us, without us, and no future can be just if it’s built on excluding the very people who will inherit it.”
Rakoditsoe added, “Young people from the Global South are not charity cases. We are policymakers, entrepreneurs, climate leaders, and cultural innovators. But global systems continue to treat us like a demographic – not a constituency.
“So, the ask is this: stop tokenising youth participation. Institutionalise it. Fund it.
“Let us co-create systems that reflect our realities, because if the multilateral world doesn’t evolve with our generation, it will collapse under its own irrelevance.”
In the midst of facilitating high-stakes international negotiations, Rakoditsoe finds time to engage Gen Z on TikTok, breaking down complex G20 policy on her platform “Rai Talks”, making multilateral discussions accessible.
Rakoditsoe has commanded stages at Cotton Fest, won a Safta for her children’s television work, and moderated panels for global brands, all while pursuing her political science and international relations degree.
“Language is power. If young people don’t understand the policy, they can’t challenge it, and if they can’t challenge it, nothing changes,” she explains her digital translation work.
“When youth are excluded, we get used. Our stories become stats. Our energy is co-opted for PR. But when we understand the issues, when we can say, ‘This is how Brics currency affects my community,’ or ‘This is why multilateral reform matters’ – we go from being passive recipients of change to active architects of the future.”
Rakoditsoe denies that today’s youth are disengaged and that their impact isn’t felt.
“Respectfully, you’re not paying attention.
“We’re building movements from WhatsApp groups. We’re coding protest into our fashion. We’re making TikToks that deconstruct global finance.
“Political engagement looks different in 2025, but it’s loud, it’s strategic, and it’s ours.”
She says that she is fighting for systems that don’t just include youth, “but are co-led by us – structurally, creatively and politically”.
“Whether it’s policy frameworks, economic models, or school curricula, I want youth not just in the room but reshaping the room,” she said.
As South Africa prepares to host the G20 presidency, Rakoditsoe embodies the evolution of youth activism: from the streets of 1976 to the diplomatic corridors of 2025.
“If we get that right, this generation will no longer have to ask for a seat at the table. We’ll build our own, and invite the world to come eat with us,” Rakoditsoe said.
