By Naledi Mokoena
In a recent article, we explored how youth in townships like Alexandra and Pimville are reshaping their economic reality, shifting from job seekers to job creators, and from healthcare recipients to providers. Through initiatives like the Netcare Ulusha Hub and grassroots models such as Alma Clinics and Unjani Clinics, the message is clear: young South Africans aren’t waiting for opportunities. They’re building them.
But now that Youth Month is over, a harder question remains: Can these early victories grow into long-term transformation?
Talent vs. the System
In Tembisa, efforts to replicate the Ulusha Hub model have slowed due to poor infrastructure and inconsistent funding. In Diepsloot, graduates from the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme are launching businesses in fashion and tech, but face hurdles accessing markets beyond their immediate circles.
As one YES graduate put it: “We’ve built the house, but the doors remain locked.”
It’s a common story. Talent and training are not in short supply, but the ecosystem around township entrepreneurs remains fragile. Without access to finance, infrastructure, market linkages, and mentorship, even the most promising ventures struggle to grow.
From Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Real Collaboration
Early corporate investment often checked boxes, fulfilling Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets through training hubs and skills programmes. But that’s no longer enough.
“Shared value must go deeper,” said Dr. Nceba Ndzwayiba of Netcare in a recent briefing. “Township entrepreneurs must become suppliers, collaborators and co-creators, not just beneficiaries.”
Some corporates are taking that to heart.
Nedbank has shifted from business bootcamps to integrating township businesses into its procurement pipelines, supporting over 60 000 entrepreneurs through its partnership with the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance. “Through Nedbank, I landed my first retail contract,” says Thabo, a Soweto-based graduate. “That changed everything.”
At Air Liquide, township-based engineers are solving real industrial challenges, not hypothetical ones. “We weren’t just giving ideas, we were building the solution,” says Sipho, a participant in the 2024 YES x Air Liquide innovation challenge.
These examples show what’s possible when companies stop funding from a distance and start building alongside communities.
When Policy Lags, Communities Lead
At the national level, policy continues to lag behind grassroots progress. Youth funding schemes are oversubscribed, poorly communicated, or tangled in red tape. Township micro-enterprises struggle to register, scale, or access meaningful support.
Healthcare tells a similar story. Clinics like Alma and Unjani fill critical gaps in underserved communities but remain largely excluded from South Africa’s proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) framework.
Yet in the absence of policy, communities are stepping up.
In Soweto, a collective of nurse-preneurs is pooling resources and lobbying for local recognition. In Alexandra, YES graduates are mentoring the next generation, not because they’re asked to, but because they believe in lifting others as they rise.
This is no longer just entrepreneurship. It’s ecosystem-building from the ground up.
Building What Lasts
Youth Month shouldn’t just be a moment of celebration. It should mark a shift.
To sustain momentum, innovation must be matched with infrastructure.
That means affordable logistics, shared manufacturing spaces, broadband in under-connected zones, and streamlined regulation for township-based ventures, especially in healthcare, technology, and green industries. It also means connecting township businesses to national value chains, not just feel-good campaigns.
Blueprints of Change
This movement isn’t driven by slogans or ceremonies. It unfolds in converted containers, nurse-run clinics, shared kitchens, and solar-powered information and communication technology (ICT) hubs.
It’s a revolution born of necessity and fuelled by possibility.
Young South Africans in townships are not just surviving; they’re actively reshaping their futures.
The question is no longer about their readiness. It’s whether policymakers, investors, and institutions will show the same urgency and match their efforts with lasting support.
Because if we don’t act now, we risk watching this momentum fade just as quickly as it began.
This article is a continuation of a Youth Month feature on township-led innovation published earlier this month. Catch up here if you missed it: [Read the first article here].
Image by Jennifer Coffin-Grey (Usplash)
