Time to Rethink What It Means to Be a Young Person in South Africa

Too old to be youth?

Every June, South Africa pauses to reflect on its youth. Speeches are made, hashtags trend, and statistics are repeated. But one question that doesn't get asked nearly enough is: what exactly do we mean when we talk about “youth”? I recently overheard a radio host pose that very question. In South Africa, anyone under the age of 35 is officially considered “youth.” I’m not sure when that number was decided or how it became the acceptable cap. What I do know is this: it’s no longer working, not in the way it needs to.

In a country like ours, with its long history of inequality and economic struggle, the path to success is rarely straightforward. And yet, institutions seem to assume otherwise. They draw neat lines and set rigid cut-offs, as if everyone has the same timeline.

Let’s forget the numbers for a moment. We know them; the youth unemployment rate, the dropout rate, the debt burdens. Instead, let me tell you about someone I know.

After finishing high school, Mpho (not his real name) didn’t have the option to go to university. His parents had passed away, and as the eldest sibling, he became the breadwinner overnight. While his peers were starting first-year lectures, Mpho was working to support his younger siblings through school. There was no time, or money to think about furthering his studies.

It wasn’t until his mid-30s that Mpho was finally able to pursue higher education. Even then, the options were limited. He registered at the most affordable institution he could find, choosing a program with flexible hours so he could keep working. He’s doing it against the odds but with little support. Most bursaries and funding schemes cut off at age 35. So Mpho, at 36, has to fund everything out of pocket. Not because he lacks potential, but because he didn’t fit into someone else’s timeline.

How many more Mphos are out there left out simply because their journey didn’t fit the mold?

Our definition of youth is outdated. It doesn’t reflect the lived realities of people navigating poverty, delayed opportunity, and family responsibility. And our funding systems? They're designed for a narrow version of success, the kind where you finish high school, go straight to university, and get a job by 25.

That’s not South Africa’s reality. It's time to stop pretending it is.

If we want to empower the youth, we must first redefine who they are. We need to revise the upper age limit so that opportunity doesn’t expire at 35. And more urgently, we must reform funding policies to be more inclusive, especially for those who had no choice but to delay their dreams.