01 / Official Media release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vaal EmpowaYouth Week 2027 to connect young people with skills, industry and enterprise opportunities
3–7 May 2027 | Koinonia Bible Church, Zone 14, Sebokeng
EmpowaYouth | INSPIRED | CONNECTED | TRANSFORMED
SEBOKENG, GAUTENG: Vaal EmpowaYouth Week 2027 will bring young people, employers, educators, funders and enterprise development partners together from 3–7 May 2027, creating a platform for access to career pathways, practical skills, entrepreneurship support and industry networks.
Under the theme “Powering South Africa’s Youth Economy”, the five-day programme aims to attract more than 10,000 young people across the week. Its focus is clear: help young people understand where opportunities exist, what those opportunities require and how to take the next step towards participation.
For unemployed graduates, job seekers, aspiring entrepreneurs, matriculants and young people outside employment, education or training, the platform is designed to make an often fragmented opportunity landscape easier to navigate.
For industry, it offers a concentrated opportunity to engage emerging talent, develop enterprise pipelines and connect organisational investment with the needs and ambitions of young South Africans.
Inspired. Connected. Transformed.
Vaal EmpowaYouth Week 2027 is built around three strategic priorities:
INSPIRED
Broaden young people’s understanding of possible futures through industry exposure, credible role models and practical insight into careers and enterprise.
CONNECTED
Bring young people closer to employers, education and training institutions, funders, mentors and market access networks.
TRANSFORMED
Support progression from participation to practical next steps, including applications, training referrals, enterprise development support and further engagement with opportunity providers.
The emphasis is on making each interaction useful beyond the event itself.
Five days focused on economic participation
The programme will explore five opportunity areas:
- Health, Wellness & Care EconomyCareer pathways, training opportunities and enterprise possibilities across health services, care and wellbeing.
- AI, Digital Economy & Deep TechDigital capability, emerging technologies and the skills needed to participate in a changing world of work.
- Creative & Film EconomyCreative careers, content production, intellectual property and the business of turning talent into income.
- Green Economy & Climate InnovationOpportunities linked to renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, environmental services and circular business models.
- Entrepreneurship, Funding & Innovation EcosystemsBusiness readiness, funding requirements, enterprise development and access to customers and supply chains.
Why the Vaal matters
The Vaal’s industrial heritage, entrepreneurial energy and young talent make it a significant setting for conversations about South Africa’s economic future.
Hosting the programme in Sebokeng brings industry engagement closer to communities where access to professional networks, career guidance and enterprise support can shape a young person’s next decision.
The ambition is to strengthen the connections between local potential and the institutions, industries and markets that can help it grow.
“Young people need ambition backed by access: access to information, skills, decision-makers and a clear next step. Vaal EmpowaYouth Week 2027 is designed to bring those connections closer to the communities that need them. When young people are inspired, connected and supported to act, we create stronger foundations for enterprise, employment and economic participation.”
A compelling editorial platform for media houses
Vaal EmpowaYouth Week offers media houses a local lens on issues of national importance: youth employment, artificial intelligence, skills development, township enterprise, the creative economy and the energy transition.
For audiences, coverage can deliver practical value through career guidance, explanations of funding requirements, insights into emerging industries and information that helps young people make informed decisions.
Media houses are invited to explore interviews, youth profiles, industry conversations, on-site reporting and broadcast opportunities. Editorial access can be coordinated around programme availability, participant consent and each newsroom’s requirements.
The platform offers scope to follow stories beyond the week, examining how young people progress and what enables meaningful access to opportunity.
An invitation to industry and opportunity providers
Employers, training institutions, funders, development agencies and corporate partners are invited to contribute opportunities and expertise aligned with their priorities.
Participation can support talent engagement, enterprise pipeline development and community relationships, with agreed deliverables and reporting providing a basis for assessing value.
Bring an opportunity. Share expertise. Help a young person take the next step.
About EmpowaYouth
EmpowaYouth is an EmpowaWorx platform advancing youth development through inspiration, connection and practical pathways to economic participation. Its strategic promise, INSPIRED | CONNECTED | TRANSFORMED, guides its focus on skills, industry exposure, entrepreneurship and access to opportunity.
