Celebrating Youth Month through legacy and action

JUNE is Youth Month in South Africa, a time to honour the fearless spirit of young people who dare to dream, act, and shape the future.

- SANDILE MLANGENI

While we commemorate the historic uprising of June 16, 1976, when Soweto's youth stood resilient against an oppressive system, Youth Month is more than a reflection on the past; it's a call to action for today's generation.

It's a reminder that your ideas, no matter how small they seem, can ignite change that will echo across time and borders. Take inspiration from Enoch Sontonga, a young visionary whose creativity left an indelible mark on Africa. This Youth Month, let's ignite that same courage and drive in you to turn your ideas into reality.

The Legacy of Enoch Sontonga, A Young Dreamer's Impact

In 1897, a 24-year-old Xhosa teacher and choirmaster named Enoch Mankayi Sontonga sat in a Methodist mission school in Nancefield, near Johannesburg, and penned a hymn that would become a beacon of hope for millions of people across Southern Africa.

He was born around 1873 in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, and he was a product of the Lovedale Mission Training College, where he honed his skills as an educator and poet.

At just 24, he composed Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (“God Bless Africa”), a prayer for unity and liberation, initially intended for his school choir. Little did he know that his words and melody would transcend his lifetime, becoming a pan-African anthem of resilience and freedom.

First performed publicly in 1899 at the ordination of Reverend John Hlengani Mboweni, the hymn gained traction when John Langalibalele Dube's Ohlange Institute choir sang it at the South African Native National Congress in 1912.