CYP's Youth Policy Review Series - Finding the Lost Generation : South Africa's NYP
Throughout South Africa’s history, young people have been central to the country’s struggles and transformations. Their courage and sacrifice marked a turning point in the liberation movement, demonstrating the power of youth as agents of change. In the democratic era, however, new challenges have emerged - mass unemployment, inequality, poor access to education, and social exclusion continue to undermine the promise of freedom for many young South Africans. To confront these persistent realities, the government introduced the National Youth Policy 2020–2030 (NYP 2030), a decade-long strategy aimed at empowering young people to lead the nation’s next phase of growth and transformation. When such a large stride has been taken by a government, how do we assess the success of such a policy? Is it in its progressive thought, or its effective change? We aim to answer this by analysing the NYP.
