From left to right: Dr Marcia Lebambo, Director: Entrepreneurship Development Unit (EDU), Mr Misheck Mugabe, Scholar and Activist Strategy Specialist at MSG, Mr Sibusiso Thwala, Youth Development Activist at NMU and Mr Papama Mnqandi, former BMF Youth Professional Leader.

The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) , Student Affairs hosted its second annual Youth Development Conference under the theme: “Harnessing the Economy for Youth Entrepreneurship and Youth Employability in Complex Geopolitical Contexts: What Are the Desired Lessons for the African Continent?”

The conference aimed to address the challenges of youth employability and entrepreneurship while equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to navigate these realities. It encourages participants to explore innovative, unconventional and non-traditional approaches to creating employment opportunities and strengthening entrepreneurial capacity across the African continent.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Prof. Samson Mashele delivering the opening remarks at the conference.

Delivering the opening remarks, CUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Prof. Samson Mashele, highlighted the importance of preparing, empowering and inspiring young people to pursue meaningful employment or create opportunities for themselves. He noted that the world of work has undergone significant transformation, requiring graduates to adapt to an increasingly dynamic and competitive employment landscape.

“The world of work has changed. Today, graduates compete not only with one another but with automation, artificial intelligence and a global workforce working remotely from every continent. Jobs are disappearing fast, while new professions are emerging almost overnight. The challenge is not simply that jobs are disappearing, but that education systems often prepare students for yesterday’s jobs instead of tomorrow’s opportunities. Universities can no longer measure success simply by the number of graduates they produce. Our success must be measured by the number of innovators, entrepreneurs, problem-solvers, technology creators and job creators we produce. Graduation should no longer represent the end of learning; it should represent the beginning of value creation.”

Elaborating on the purpose of the conference, Dr Bernard Sebake, Dean of Students, emphasised that the conversation must move beyond blame and focus on cultivating a culture that challenges the status quo, enabling young people to identify and seize meaningful opportunities for participation and growth. He highlighted three key pillars underpinning the conference. The first aligns with the National Youth Policy, which seeks to strengthen youth participation across key sectors of the economy by positioning education as a catalyst for navigating emerging opportunities. The second focuses on fostering radical thinking that inspires youth entrepreneurship and innovation. The third emphasises youth employability, recognising meaningful employment as a critical pathway to ensuring young people actively participate in and contribute to the economy.

Throughout the conference, academics, policymakers, industry leaders and delegates engaged in discussions on the impact of global economic shifts, technological advancements and geopolitical uncertainty on Africa's youth. The programme also focused on strengthening collaboration among higher education institutions, government, industry and the private sector to create sustainable employment opportunities and foster entrepreneurship.

They also participated in additional panel discussions, presentations and networking sessions aimed at identifying practical solutions to youth unemployment and equipping young people with the skills required to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy. The conference concluded with a set of recommendations that reaffirmed the role of universities as catalysts for innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth across the African continent.

By Mandisa Lidziya and Tsunke Matshediso 

Photo Credit: Papane Kagisho