Executive Director’s opening remarks at the launch of MISTRA’s latest research publication entitled, Youth in South Africa: Agency, (In)Visibility And National Development on the 23rd November 2021.

Youth in South Africa: Agency, (in)visibility and national development explores the ways in which the youth navigate their own pathways to adulthood. These include formal and informal engagements with politics, as well as protest, entrepreneurship, education, religion, experiences with sexuality and violence and a multitude of other life experiences.

Contributors paint a picture of the initiative, agency and resilience of the youth, as well as their socioeconomic circumstances and political contexts.
The research highlights the limitations of existing youth policies and frameworks. The case is made for policy instruments to be informed by the lived experiences of the youth as they navigate a complex macrosocial environment.