Potchefstroom: Deputy President Paul Mashatile will, on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Youth Day commemoration and career exhibition in the North West. Hundreds of young people are expected to gather on Monday, 16 June 2025, at the North West University (NWU) Rag Farm Stadium in Potchefstroom.

According to South African Government News Agency, this year’s National Youth Day commemorative events are taking place under the theme, ‘Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation’. This theme calls on all government entities and strategic partners to enhance interventions bridging the gap between skills development and services accessible to youth for economic gain.

Deputy President Mashatile emphasized the importance of collaboration among government partners in education, skills, and economic development to tackle youth unemployment. The Deputy President stated that the government is focusing on linking youth with education and economic opportunities during this youth month.

In South Africa, June 16 is a National Youth Day, honoring the youth’s role in the liberation struggle, particularly the 1976 student uprising. The 1976 protests highlighted political awareness and resistance against apartheid, marked by the tragic loss of lives, including Hector Pieterson, who became a symbol of the struggle.

The event will see attendance from prominent figures, including the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, Premier of the North West, Lazarus Mokgosi, Acting CEO of the National Youth Development Agency, Mafiki Duma, along with Mayors, senior officials, and young trailblazers.