Youth Day South Africa 2025...

Jun 16
2 min read

June 16th – a Vision for Sport, Development, Hope and Opportunity for the Young People of South Africa and the world…

June 16th is an important and significant milestone in the Youth Charter journey and is enshrined in the agency’s vision, mission, objectives and values of providing the vaccine effect of sport, arts and cultural activity in the social, cultural and economic life chances of young people and communities who face day to day disadvantage and disaffection in the realization of their potential.

Within months of the Youth Charter being launched in Wembley in 1993, the Youth Charter was presented to the global community that convened in Johannesburg to contribute to the Vision for Sport in the new South Africa.

In 1996, the Youth Charter was formally launched in Johannesburg Square and over the last three decades, projects, programmes, initiatives, advocacy and campaigning have now seen the Sport For Development And Peace movement established.

The late President Mandela’s political genius was to use sport and the arts as a vaccine and antidote to the ills and legacy of apartheid. On South Africa Youth Day 2023, the Youth Charter launched the YC ‘30’ South Africa Report with recommendations that would engage, equip and empower, South Africa’s youth, the continent and the world and pay tribute to all of those who remained true in their authentic contribution to the spirit of Ubuntu.

Over the past year, the effort has been to build the all-important collaboration and partnerships that see the Community Campus fulfil the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games legacy to see young people, particularly those from disaffected and disadvantaged backgrounds provided with the mental, physical and emotional health and wellbeing in South Africa being one of the leading Commonwealth nations.

This is now seeing the realization of heritage and ancestry through one of the sportsmen who reflects the Youth Charter philosophy.

The Mark Fish Foundation is headed up by Bafana Bafana legend, who visited Moss Side, Manchester in 1997 prior to the historic England v South Africa match at Old Trafford. Mark is an example of the work we are still committed to realizing with the Umlambo Foundation and the Race 4 Peace event that takes place today thirty years on through the support of the Youth Charter.