What: The Kagiso Generation: Maropeng Youth ConversationWhen: 10 and 11 December 2025Where: Soweto Hotel & Conference.
Amid declining youth voter turnout, rising unemployment and growing distrust in democratic institutions, Kagiso Trust will host the Maropeng Youth Conversation – a two-day intergenerational gathering in Soweto where young South Africans will directly confront veterans of the struggle and leaders of the democratic era. The event takes place on 10 and 11 December.
“This conversation places young people at the centre – shaping, leading and driving a catalytic conversation about South Africa’s future,” says Dr Mankodi Moitse, CEO of Kagiso Trust.
Why this matters now
South African democracy is facing a legitimacy crisis. Only 42% of eligible voters participated in the 2024 national elections, with youth turnout significantly lower. Unemployment among 15 to 34-year-olds stands at 46.1%, while trust in democratic institutions continues to erode.
Yet across the country, young people are organising, innovating and challenging systems of power – often outside traditional structures. The Maropeng Youth Conversation creates a rare space for these young activists and the generation that negotiated democracy to learn from one another.
“We are not celebrating Kagiso Trust’s 40th anniversary by only looking back – we are handing over the future,” says Mankone Ntsaba, Chairperson of Kagiso Trust. “But that handover requires an honest reckoning with where democracy has failed, and what young people need to reclaim it.”
Two days of conversations, three provocative questions
The convening opens with a plenary keynote by Thoko Mpumlwana and Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and features prominent voices such as civic organiser and founder Koketso Moeti, alongside June 16 activist Seth Mazibuko, representing generational perspectives that speak to South Africa’s past, present and future.
Conversations will address three themes across the country’s democratic journey:
Wednesday, 10 DecemberMorning session: Memory to ’94 – What can today’s youth learn from the courage and collective imagination of the Struggle generation? (Speakers: Thoko Mpumlwana, Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, Zubeida Jaffer, Seth Mazibuko)
Afternoon session: Democracy and disillusionment – Amid youth exclusion, governance failure and civic apathy, how can democratic participation be reimagined and renewed? (Speakers: Prof Kenneth Creamer, Dr Lwazi Lushaba, Makhafula Vilakazi)
Thursday, 11 December
Morning session: Futures and innovation – How can young South Africans remake democracy in their own image? (Speakers: Tshepang Bambo, Celiwe Shivambu, Pieter Kriel, Omhle Ntshingila)Closing plenary: Youth delegates will endorse concrete commitments with SMART goals, named leads and 90-day milestones.
What makes this different
Unlike traditional youth summits, the Maropeng Youth Conversation uses participatory methods intended to shift power and amplify youth agency:
- Intergenerational confrontation, not consultation: Youth don’t listen politely; they challenge. Veterans don’t lecture; they respond to hard questions.
- Creativity as strategy: Storytelling, art, poetry and digital media elevate youth voices alongside policy conversations.
- Commitments, not communiqués: The event ends with endorsed action plans participants will carry forward – not aspirational statements.
- Location matters: Hosting in Soweto – the heartland of youth resistance – roots the conversation in Struggle history while addressing today’s realities.
Tangible outputs
The conversation will yield:
The Kagiso Youth Reflection Paper, synthesising generational insights for policy and civic action.Commitments for renewal – time-bound actions with named leads and clear check-in dates.A short film documenting the intergenerational conversations.
Integration of youth perspectives into Kagiso Trust’s 40-year Maropeng legacy publication.Part of Kagiso Trust’s 40th anniversary Maropeng Youth Conversation
For 40 years, Kagiso Trust has worked to Ignite Human Capacity through education, civil society strengthening, local governance and socio-economic development. The Maropeng Youth Conversation affirms that South Africa’s future depends on the agency, courage and vision of its young people.
About Kagiso Trust
Established in 1985 during South Africa’s transformative years, Kagiso Trust is one of the country’s leading development agencies. For four decades, the Trust has been dedicated to creating a brighter future for South Africa’s most vulnerable communities by promoting equity and socio-economic inclusion. Through its innovative, bottom-up approach, Kagiso Trust has implemented scalable and sustainable development programmes across education, institutional capacity building, and socio-economic development.
In 2025, Kagiso Trust proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking a legacy of impactful interventions and a commitment to igniting human capacity to solve critical challenges faced by the country. With over R2 billion invested in development and more than 1,800 programmes implemented, the Trust continues to drive meaningful socio-economic transformation from the bottom up.
Alison Fyfe
Soweto Sunrise News
