Johannesburg – Now in its fourth year, the annual Youth X is designed to empower and uplift South African youngsters by providing opportunities for development, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
This year, the YX24 encompassed various initiatives, including YouthX Live events, the YouthX Award, and YX24 Festival – all aimed at inspiring young people to pursue their goals and make a positive impact in their communities.
The culmination, at the Johannesburg Constitutional Hills on Saturday, October 12 was a spectacular celebration of creativity, and the undeniable entrepreneurial propensity among South Africa’s youths.
With its close-fitting theme ‘Unlock Your X‘, the 2024 edition brought together inspiring innovators and young talents from across the nation, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of collaboration and celebration.
The festival featured captivating performances from renowned South African artists, including Zee Nxumalo, Kabza De Small, Nkosazana Daughter, Thakzin, Mörda, Blxckie, and Maglera Doe Boy among others. Their captivating performances added to the energy of the event, creating an unforgettable experience that resonated with attendees of all ages.
As Nedbank’s head of youth strategy John Makgato indicated, YX24 Festival serves as a platform not only to celebrate current achievements but also to inspire the next wave of innovator. “It also highlights Nedbank’s commitment to uplifting and developing youth potential,” he says.
Speaking to NOWinSA – at the festival – about one of the serious socioeconomic challenges today in South Africa, that Nedbank is privy to, Makgato had this to say. “The main thing that you see coming is ‘guys I want a job,” which he adds is among the factors that led to the creation of YX24; to mitigate the rising youth unemployment among Mzansi youths. “We also have a platform called MoveUp, which allows young people to create smart CVs to help map their career journey. We also offer them free courses as well, where we have over a million customers go through that.”
On how the bank infuses customer feedback into its business decisions, he says: “One of the things we do is to look at what’s happening around, align that with some of the customer feedback and try to innovate. Another thing we try to do is to partner with youth platforms, this helps us create unique solutions that better the lives of young people. And if you look at how we’ve been doing in the past three or four years, you’ll see that we’ve grown from strength to strength in this regard as a bank.”
YX24 innovative solutions: Winners
At the heart of the festival was the 2024 YouthX Awards, which recognised the outstanding achievements of young entrepreneurs. The top 10 finalists showcased innovative solutions to real-world challenges, illustrating the potential for youth-led initiatives to drive positive change.
The 10 finalists walked away with their share of R525 000 to elevate their business idea, a mentorship programme, financial literacy training through a financial adviser, as well as a curated lifestyle experience.
Walking away as the 2024 YouthX Award winner was Brandon Mashaba, who stood out with his ground-breaking project, Reagile Gaming Interactions. This modern take on the nostalgic spaza shop arcade machines aims to make cutting-edge gaming experiences accessible to all.
“Being recognised by Nedbank YouthX and making it to the top 10 felt like a dream. Being crowned as the 2024 YouthX Award Winner is a reality beyond anything I could have imagined,” Mashaba shared.
Asivile Mondile secured second place with his remarkable initiative, the Mondil Air solution, a aimed at reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using natural resources.
The 3rd place was shared by Queen Malinda, founder of Ndzilo Fire Solutions, a company focused on AI-based wildfire detection, and Akhona Mtongana, founder of 3D-Vision, which transforms discarded plastics into functional and stylish eyewear frames using 3D printing technology.
