North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi will host Deputy President Paul Mashatile in Potchefstroom on Monday as the government marks National Youth Day to commemorate the role of young people in the fight against apartheid, including the 1976 Soweto Uprising.
According to government briefing documents, Mokgosi and Mashatile are expected to address the event under the theme “Skills for the changing world, empowering youth for meaningful economic participation”, with the tag line “Gear Up for Greatness”. Their speeches will focus on education, skills development and strategies to boost youth participation in the economy, particularly in sectors such as ICT, manufacturing, sports, agriculture and hospitality. The official communication highlights the need to preserve the legacy of anti-apartheid youth activists and urges today’s youth to “build on this legacy by seizing opportunities for personal and national growth”.
Government messaging places particular emphasis on the creation of an inclusive economy, youth economic emancipation, and dismantling social, economic and racial barriers.
The briefing notes that a series of public and private initiatives are underway to address youth unemployment and close skills gaps, citing programmes like the Africa Skills Revolution, presidential youth employment interventions, and support for SMMEs. These initiatives reportedly provide both financial and non-financial assistance to young entrepreneurs, including training, networking, and market access.
The government plans to expand the focus to include young people’s mental and physical health, and is encouraging youth to take advantage of global opportunities, particularly through South Africa’s participation in the G20.
The messaging also frames youth as key players in both local and international change.
In a related event on Friday, Mokgosi launched the Labour Activation Programme in Manthe village, Greater Taung Municipality – an initiative described as directly targeting youth unemployment in the North West.
“Youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb. We must therefore do everything in our power to nip it in the bud,” Mokgosi told local attendees.
According to Mokgosi, the programme is a collaboration between provincial and national government and is part of “ongoing efforts to find solutions to the scourge of youth unemployment in our province”.
He said the provincial government, working with the Department of Labour and Employment, had created “over 27 000 training and work opportunities for the people of the North West,” with nearly R700-million allocated to the project.
In the agricultural sector, Mokgosi announced a six-month learnership for nearly 2 000 local youth, facilitated by training provider Bright Ideas, covering “planting techniques, soil management, irrigation, harvesting, and agribusiness skills”.
He said more than 1 400 young people would be eligible for jobs as field operators, administrative officers and logistics workers after completing the programme.
“Youth empowerment remains an apex priority of the seventh administration, and in my acceptance speech last year as well as the province’s 2025 policy statement, I highlighted a litany of intervention measures we are making to address the scourge of youth unemployment,” Mokgosi said.
He called for a coordinated response to the crisis, adding, “Addressing a problem of this magnitude needs all stakeholders to work together as the private sector, labour, business, civil society, and traditional leaders.”
The launch coincided with an announcement by Batlhaping ba ga Maidi, the local traditional authority, that it had secured a supply agreement for dry white beans with Harvest Hub Africa at R16 000 per tonne, projecting R12-million in revenue with the potential for annual earnings of up to R57-million.
Mokgosi said initiatives like these would “go a long way in mitigating the impact of high unemployment in the province and will provide this area with much-needed skills and expertise for a number of agricultural projects that will be rolled out as part of our strategy to create socio-economic opportunities for our rural communities”.
