Hon. Kenny Morolong, MP, Deputy Minister in the Presidency on the occasion of the, 11th Green Youth Indaba, 19 June 2026, Sun City, South Africa
Programme Director;
Honourable Premier Lazarus Mokgosi;
Honourable Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala;
Members of the Executive Council;
Executive Mayors and Councillors;
Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders;
Representatives of Business, Academia and Civil Society;
Development Partners;
Sponsors and Exhibitors;
The Green Youth Network under the leadership of Mr Sanele Zulu;
Distinguished Delegates;
Young Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Researchers and Future Leaders;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
As we conclude the 11th Green Youth Indaba, we do so inspired by what we have witnessed over the past two days, and challenged by the responsibility that now rests upon all of us.
This gathering has shown that young South Africans are not waiting for the future to arrive; they are already building it through innovation, enterprise, research, activism and service.
This year's theme, "From Youth Innovation to Green Enterprise and Economic Impact," speaks directly to the task of our time: to convert ideas into practical solutions, and to convert those solutions into enterprises, jobs and lasting economic value.
Over the course of this conference, you have explored solutions in renewable energy, water security, circular economy development, sustainable agriculture, research commercialisation, infrastructure development, digital innovation and enterprise development.
You have heard from policymakers, investors, researchers, entrepreneurs and, most importantly, from young people who are already developing practical solutions to real-world challenges.
What has become abundantly clear is that South Africa does not suffer from a shortage of talent.
Our greatest challenge is ensuring that innovation is transformed into enterprise, that enterprise attracts investment, and that investment creates jobs, incomes and sustainable economic opportunities.
Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the Milestones of Freedom campaign at the Union Buildings under the theme, "Honouring the Past. Delivering the Future."
We would like to repeat that message here today, because the story of freedom is also the story of youth courage, youth imagination and youth action.
The milestones we commemorate are not monuments frozen in time. They are instructions to the present generation on how to use today to build tomorrow.
This year we reflect on the 30th anniversary of the adoption of our Constitution, the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprisings, the 70th anniversary of the women led anti-pass campaign, and the 60th anniversary of the forced removals from District Six.
Each of these moments teaches us something important: that freedom is defended by courage, deepened by organisation, and made meaningful through delivery.
The Constitution reminds us that every young person has dignity, rights and responsibilities.
The youth of 1976 remind us that young people can change the direction of history when they refuse to accept injustice.
The women of 1956 remind us that organised communities can confront systems that appear immovable.
District Six reminds us that development without justice destroys lives, and that rebuilding must always restore belonging, opportunity and dignity.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Green Youth Indaba has, over eleven years, grown into one of South Africa's most important youth development and green economy platforms.
It has connected young people to opportunities, partnerships, knowledge and networks that can help unlock their full potential. This achievement deserves recognition.
We commend the Green Youth Network and its partners for building a platform that contributes meaningfully to South Africa's development agenda.
The significance of this gathering extends beyond sustainability.
It speaks directly to one of the central priorities of the Government of National Unity: creating faster economic growth, creating jobs and expanding opportunities for all South Africans, especially young people.
The Medium-Term Development Plan 2024–2029 recognises that South Africa's long-term success depends on building an economy that is inclusive, competitive, innovative and capable of delivering measurable improvements in people's lives.
At the centre of that vision are young people. Every economic reform we undertake, every infrastructure programme we implement, every industrial policy intervention we introduce, and every investment we mobilise must ultimately expand opportunity for the next generation.
That is why youth development cannot be treated as a separate programme.
It must be integrated into every aspect of economic transformation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the world is changing rapidly.
Climate change, technological advancement, artificial intelligence, digitalisation and changing patterns of production are reshaping economies across the globe.
These disruptions bring risk, but they also create new industries, new skills and new forms of work.
The green economy is no longer a future possibility. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of economic activity, driven by cleaner energy systems, sustainable production, climate-resilient infrastructure and circular approaches to waste and resources.
The question before us is whether South Africa's young people will simply observe these changes, or whether they will lead them. Government's answer is clear: young people must lead as innovators, entrepreneurs, industrialists, employers and active builders of the economy of the future.
Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the most important messages we wish to leave with the young people gathered here today is that freedom must now be expressed through problem solving.
The generation of 1976 confronted the denial of basic rights. Today's generation must confront unemployment, poverty, climate change, energy insecurity, water scarcity, food insecurity, crime, inequality and the digital divide.
The task is not the same, but the spirit required is the same: courage, discipline, solidarity, creativity and a refusal to be passive in the face of injustice or difficulty.
Across South Africa, significant investment is taking place in renewable energy,electricity transmission, water infrastructure, digital connectivity, industrial development and logistics.
These investments are creating opportunities for artisans, technicians, engineers, environmental specialists, software developers, project managers and entrepreneurs.
For instance, the North West Province as your host, is particularly well positioned to benefit from these developments.
This province possesses enormous strategic advantages.
It is among global leaders in platinum group metals that are critical to the energy transition.
For young people in this province, opportunities are emerging in five critical sectors:
renewable energy and energy services; agriculture and agro-processing; the water economy; the circular economy; and the digital economy.
In renewable energy, young people can become installers, electricians, maintenance technicians, energy auditors and green construction entrepreneurs.
In agriculture, they can work across the full value chain from production to processing, packaging, logistics, irrigation, exports and agribusiness management.
In water, they can build solutions for leak detection, treatment, conservation and infrastructure maintenance.
In the circular economy, waste can become value through recycling, plastics beneficiation, e-waste recovery and circular manufacturing. In the digital economy, coding, data analytics, artificial intelligence, digital platforms and advanced manufacturing can help young people solve old problems in new ways.
Programme Director, opportunities alone are not enough. Opportunity must be matched by preparation.
Young people must actively use the programmes that government has established to support enterprise development, skills development and innovation.
Institutions such as the National Youth Development Agency, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency, Sector Education and Training Authorities, TVET colleges, universities, innovation hubs and business incubators exist to help young people move from idea to prototype, from prototype to enterprise, and from enterprise to market.
The support mechanisms are there. The challenge is to utilise them: pursue funding, build partnerships, strengthen networks, upgrade skills continuously and commercialise ideas.
Economic transformation occurs when opportunity meets preparation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is another lesson emerging from this Indaba and from the Milestones of Freedom campaign: no generation solves national challenges alone.
The future we seek requires partnership, collaboration and a shared commitment to creating pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and economic participation.
The success of the Green Youth Indaba demonstrates what becomes possible when government, business, academia, civil society and young people work together around a common purpose.
As we look towards the next decade, we must deepen these partnerships and ensure that they produce measurable outcomes.
The next decade cannot be defined by dialogue alone. It must be defined by implementation: enterprises established, innovations commercialised, investments mobilised, jobs created and communities transformed.
To the young people gathered here today: South Africa needs your ideas, your talent, your resilience and your leadership. The future of our nation will be determined by what millions of young South Africans choose to do with the opportunities before them.
If the milestones of freedom teach us anything, it is that history moves when ordinary people accept extraordinary responsibility.
Today, that responsibility is to build a greener, fairer, safer, more innovative and more prosperous South Africa.
As government, we reaffirm our commitment to building an economy in which young people are not spectators, but active participants and leaders.
We reaffirm our commitment to creating pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.
We reaffirm our commitment to building a South Africa that is more inclusive, more sustainable and more prosperous.
Let the legacy of the 11th Green Youth Indaba be that it marked a decisive shift:
From ideas to implementation.
From innovation to enterprise.
From enterprise to investment.
From investment to jobs.
And from jobs to shared prosperity.
Together, let us honour the past by delivering the future. Together, let us build a greener economy.
Together, let us build a more inclusive economy and a more prosperous South Africa.
Let us ensure that the milestones of freedom inspire a new generation of milestones:
clean energy in every community, water security for every household, skills for every young person, enterprises in every township and village, and dignity for every South African.
It is my singular honour and privilege to officially declare the 11th Green Youth Indaba closed.
Ke a leboga!
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