President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 10 March 2023, deliver the keynote address and participate in a panel discussion with young Africa leaders at the inaugural international Nelson Mandela Youth Dialogue.

Friday will be the first day of this four-day event at the Walter Sisulu University’s Zamokulungisa Campus in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

The Dialogue is hosted by the National Youth Agency in partnership with the Departments of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; Higher Education and Training, and International Relations and Cooperation; the Eastern Cape Provincial Government; the Insurance and Wholesale and Retail SETAs as well as the Royal House of Mandela.

The deliberations will provide platform for youth from around the African continent and elsewhere to engage on pressing socio-economic issues on the continent.

The Dialogue brings together young people from about 20 countries including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Egypt, Jamaica and Brazil.

Delegates will include leaders from government, business, labour and civil society.

The engagement among young leaders from all spheres of society is aimed at fostering the development of ideas, problem-solving and decision-making.

The Dialogue will also be a space for reflecting on and strengthening continent-wide plans and agreements such as the African Union Agenda 2063, the African Youth Charter, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), through the development of inter-generational leadership.

Members of the media wishing to cover the event - and who will be required to be in place earlier in the morning- are requested to RSVP with Bongekile Skosana on 082 269 9246 of the National Youth Development Agency.

Source: Government of South Africa