South African Youth Need Direction

South African youth, the ‘leaders’ of tomorrow, are usually spoken about with little enthusiasm.  South African youth are seen as a group who would happily take yet are not to be seen when it is time to give back.  They have a sense of entitlement, and as mentioned in the previous post, they are not willing to work for what they want.  Given this one would not be blamed to believe that the youth of today are a lost generation.   Despite the doom and gloom, there are bright stars in a mostly dark sky. 

The Mail & Guardian has just published its annual “200 Young South Africans” supplement, which profiles 200 young citizens, 35 and younger, who have made a difference and impact in their various fields.  These are the leaders of tomorrow who have, notwithstanding their age, decided to lead today.  Mediocrity in many instances is the order of the day amongst young South Africans but these 200 youth leaders have chosen to stray from the pack and excel. 

It is freighting when young South Africans find inspiration in people who glorify crass materialism and in people who carry with them enough arrogance to fill a soccer stadium.   These are the people who young South Africans call “role models”-- it is no wonder that young South Africans are seen as a lost generation.   The 200 Young South Africans have managed to show that humble servants still exist, and that young South African have real role models to look up to.   

Society has never flourished whilst being led by arrogant and stubborn people, but the success of a nation can be found when it is carried by humble servants, who have chosen to lead in the absence of real leadership and who have chosen to quietly excel despite accepted mediocrity.   

Despite the excitement surrounding the Mail &Guardian’s supplement, which is a commendable initiative, very few will remember the names of the 200 Young South Africans and next week the same uninspiring leaders will be on the lips and minds of all young people, and these uninspiring leaders will be seen as the representatives of all young people.  The youth need to stop short changing themselves and begin to draw inspiration from the 200 Young South Africans. 

The youth cannot be led astray by those who go in blindly.  The youth need to ask themselves if the populist leaders of today are who they want to be the leaders of tomorrow.  The reality is that the many populist leaders capture their audience with their charisma, which is not sustainable.  What South Africa needs is leaders with character and the 200 Young South Africans embody what a leader with character is.  Character is what wins a marathon, charisma is what wins a sprint and the road ahead is long. 


During a conversation one of the 200 Young South Africans said "I want to change this country".  These are the people we want, these are the people who aspire for things greater than that which will change their immediate environment or bank balance.  They care for the greater good, in the long term.  They have a plan, and they know how that plan will be executed.

The lost generation must find direction, and that direction will be found when they decide to be led by the best.