Deputy Minister Narend Singh: Primestars National Youth Entrepreneurship Awards

Master of Ceremony, Thabo Xaba
Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Hon Ms Jane Sithole
CEO and Executive Chairperson of Primestars, Mr Martin Sweet
General Manager of Protea Hotel Wanderers, Ms Amy Elliot
General Manager of the YouthStart Foundation, Mr Refiloe Mohale
Performing Artist from the Original Cast of Sarafina, Ms Khanyo Maphumulo
Distinguished Guests,
Learners and Educators
Ladies and Gentlemen

I was excited and humbled to receive an invitation to share a brief message of support at this gathering today. I feel honoured today to be part of the Step Up 2 a Green Start-Up programme which is a national youth development initiative that is equipping young South Africans to transition from jobseekers to job-creators through entrepreneurship, while championing the green economy and highlighting the urgent need to address the climate crisis that is facing the world.

One of the key elements of a sustainable programme is its ability to continue in a viable form even for future generations. In terms of the participation by society, a programme will be sustainable if it has significant participation by young people, whether in school, tertiary, or outside of the school system. This is because the youth are leaders in their own right and future leaders of tomorrow.

In addition, working with civil society organisations and Non-government Organisations extends the outreach of government programmes and assist with mobilisation of communities. In this way, the sustainability of programmes is guaranteed and ensured through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

For this reason, the Department has collaborated with Primestars as an organisation that specialises in facilitating Youth Development programmes for high school learners from underserved communities. I am happy to learn that through strong partnerships with organisations, companies, and institutions of higher learning such as universities, Primestars has established itself as a leading provider of Youth Development Programmes, with a nationwide reach and a proven track record of success.

Programme Director
The department has just attended the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, where delegates met in Belem, Brazil- against the backdrop of extreme storms and increasing frustrations with the slow implementation of climate solutions. Yet amid tense negotiations and speculation on the ability to deliver, COP30 harnessed significant momentum for climate adaptation. Each country will have its own way of implementing the indicators to account for the needs and resilience of their communities. These indicators are an important tool to keep governments accountable because the global community can track where it is falling behind on climate adaptation action and support.

I came to realise that for over a decade, Step Up 2 a Green Start-Up initiative has benefitted over 130,000 high school learners and 5,000 educators across 1,500 schools in under-resourced township and rural areas, fostering environmental consciousness and entrepreneurial capability. Recognising our interconnectedness as a global community, I therefore found it an opportune moment to work together with Primestars recognising the continuous effort to drive sustainable youth empowerment through green innovation, enterprise creation, and climate awareness. These efforts can go a long way in contributing to the indicators to use as the Global Stocktake process – which assesses collective progress on climate action under the Paris Agreement as agreed at COP30.

Ladies and Gentlemen
Realising that this Awards Ceremony serves as a dynamic platform for collaboration between public and private sectors to advance South Africa’s green economy agenda and the fact that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is expected to provide guidance and leadership on environmental matters, I find it befitting to talk about the work of the Department as a way of empowering the youth to actively participate in shaping our environment.

As we strengthen our efforts to empower young people to meaningfully participate in the environmental and green economy sectors, special emphasis is being placed on youth development. To this end, the Department has been implementing key initiatives under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), including:

• A Youth Graduate Training Programme that benefitted 2 800 (Three Thousand) graduates, supported through a R40 million (Forty Million Rand) investment across all nine provinces. The programme enables the graduates to gain experience and as such, is a critical enabler to them securing permanent employment at local government and beyond.
• A dedicated Municipal Environmental Graduate Programme benefiting 430 (Four Hundred and Thirty) graduates at a cost of R47.5 million per financial year, over two years (Forty-Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Rand).
• Of the 21 380 work opportunities created by the third quarter of the current financial year, 13 605 (64%) are youth. The Department has spent more than R400 million (Four hundred million rands) in the creation of these work opportunities.

These interventions are designed not only to create opportunities, but to build a pipeline of skilled young professionals ready to lead and support the country’s transition to a greener and more climate-resilient future.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Youth Programmes

The Department is also advancing opportunities for young people within the aquaculture and fisheries sectors, which form an important part of the expanding green and blue economy. Through the Aquaculture Technology and Demonstration Centre (ATDC) in the Free State, young entrepreneurs are equipped with practical short-skills training that supports enterprise development, system management and sustainable aquaculture production. In the Western Cape, at the Marine Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Facility, undergraduate and postgraduate students are mentored by leading researchers and technical experts, helping to build a strong pipeline of young scientists and innovators in marine and freshwater systems. In addition, through partnerships with non-profit organisations, aquaponics systems are being piloted in schools, giving learners hands-on exposure to climate-smart agriculture, sustainable food production and environmental stewardship.

Youth in the Blue Economy
When people hear the words ‘Sustainable Ocean Economy’, many picture coastlines, ships in harbour or waves breaking along the shore. Yet the truth is that young people do not need to live near the ocean to benefit from opportunities in the Oceans Economy. Inland provinces stand to gain enormously from the global expansion of ocean-based industries. Each year, the Department hosts a three-day Oceans Economy learner excursion for rural schools in the Free State, Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. More than 30 learners travel to Cape Town to experience the Oceans Economy first-hand—visiting shipyards and boatbuilding facilities, aquaculture sites and Transnet National Port Authority operations, while engaging with industry practitioners. This initiative stimulates curiosity, builds new knowledge pathways and exposes young people to South Africa’s ‘Blue Gold’.

To deepen this work, the Department also implements the Oceans-to-Land Skills Development Initiative, which introduces young people to maritime education in areas such as marine manufacturing, maritime transport, ocean governance, aquaculture, fisheries, offshore oil and gas and coastal tourism. Another transformative initiative is the DFFE–Sandock Austral Shipyards boatbuilding apprenticeship programme, through which twenty young people from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape underwent three years of hands-on training in boatbuilding, ship repair, naval maintenance and mechanical fabrication between 2020 and 2023. Several graduates have since secured meaningful employment locally and internationally - demonstrating the real impact of targeted youth interventions in the Oceans Economy and the hope these opportunities bring to families and communities.

Biodiversity and Conservation Youth Development
Our commitment to youth development also extends deeply into the biodiversity and conservation sector. Through our entity, the South African National Parks (SANParks), fully-funded bursaries are offered each year to qualifying matriculants who wish to pursue studies in conservation, tourism, environmental science and related fields. Upon completing their tertiary qualifications, these young graduates are placed in a two-year internship programme within SANParks and across our national parks, giving them practical, on-the-job experience to launch their careers. This is complemented by the approximately 3,000 job opportunities provided to young people annually through SANParks programmes.

In addition, SANParks, in partnership with the National Youth Development Agency, continues to support youth entrepreneurship through initiatives such as the Pitch and Perfect Competition and the Disability Inclusion Programme, which together have provided over R1.2 million to support innovative business ideas by young people, including youth living with disabilities. These efforts are strengthened by business management training offered to participating young entrepreneurs.

Similarly, through the Groen Sebenza Programme Phase II, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has provided 1,050 unemployed and underemployed graduates with professional work opportunities across government and private sector environmental institutions up to December 2024 - helping them gain valuable experience and advance their careers.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is also nurturing a new generation of conservation champions through its Young Rhino Ambassadors, who play a vital role in protecting one of our country’s most iconic species.

Furthermore, youth living adjacent to our national parks are regularly engaged through programmes under the People and Parks initiative. These engagements help identify community skills needs and guide the Department’s capacity-building and training interventions. To date, accredited training has been offered in areas such as ecotourism, professional hunting, field guiding, basic conservation and wildlife management, business management, new venture creation, financial management, leather production and manufacturing, and game meat inspection and processing.

UNESCO Man and Biosphere Youth Programme
As a further demonstration of youth empowerment across the Department, South Africa is also strengthening the participation of young people in global environmental platforms. Through the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, youth living and working in our biosphere reserves are being equipped to contribute meaningfully to conservation, eco-enterprise, research, and sustainable tourism. In 2023, South Africa formally established its National MAB Youth Forum, bringing together youth from ten biosphere reserves to lead national engagement.

Our young leaders have since participated in international exchanges, including engagements in Zambia and earlier this year, I had the honour of attending the UNESCO World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in China myself, where I witnessed first-hand the depth of global collaboration, youth leadership and innovation shaping the future of conservation. These platforms are helping young South Africans develop skills, foster global collaboration, and drive innovative solutions for conservation and sustainable development.

CITES COP20
As evident, our work in youth empowerment extends to the global stage. Just last week, I had the privilege of representing South Africa at the CITES COP20, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where I participated directly in the deliberations on the proposed amendments to Resolution 17.5 on Youth Engagement. South Africa was a co-proponent of this initiative, which seeks to strengthen youth participation in conservation and sustainable use processes worldwide. I am pleased that we were able to provide substantive inputs to the proposal, including successfully advocating for a more inclusive definition of youth - extending eligibility to individuals up to 35 years.

This aligns fully with South Africa’s National Youth Policy and broadens access for our young conservationists to engage meaningfully at the global level. The conference highlighted the strategic importance of youth-led research, monitoring, and community-based conservation, and reaffirmed the value of South Africa’s own youth champions.

Through our continued participation, South Africa is positioning itself for continental leadership in youth engagement within CITES and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and we remain committed to supporting regional forums, amplifying youth voices, and ensuring sustained mentorship and policy linkages for young people in the conservation space.

As we broaden opportunities for young people, it is equally important that these initia-tives are anchored within South Africa’s wider climate response framework. South Africa developed and adopted the National Adaptation Strategy with the focus on building resil-ience, protecting lives and structures against the impacts of climate change. This youth-focused work complements these national efforts. In addition, the Climate Change Act, Act No 22 of 2025 was promulgated to coordinate integrated climate change response across the spheres of society.

Programme Director
I believe by now you know that tree planting, which forms the basis for the departmental greening programme, is one of the mitigating factors recommended towards slowing down and minimising the effects of climate change. It is for this reason that the Department is pursuing the Ten Million Trees Programme as directed by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency, Mr Ramaphosa.

I wish to indicate that this year, the Department led an initiative of planting one million trees in a single day to accelerate the implementation of the National Greening Programme, and I am proud to announce that as a country we managed to surpass the target by over 5 000 trees - This greening programme comes at a critical moment, when our country and the continent are counting the cost of climate change and urgently considering the measures needed for recovery and long-term resilience.

Programme Director
I am happy to learn that the Department has initiated the process of formal relationship with Primestars and other organisations in the greening space. We would like youth organisations and environmental groups to shape the National Greening Programme going forward.

Allow me to extend a special acknowledgement to the Top 11 finalist teams, whose bold, practical and scalable solutions span water, energy, waste, recycling, manufacturing, agriculture and digital innovation. Your ideas respond directly to the everyday challenges facing millions of South Africans, and you stand here today because your work has demonstrated both impact and promise.

In closing, I am simply honoured to stand with you today and to offer this message of support as you celebrate the achievements of these outstanding young innovators. Your passion, your creativity and your determination give us confidence that South Africa’s future is in capable hands. As government, we are committed to walking alongside you, supporting your ideas, and ensuring that together we build a greener, fairer and more resilient South Africa.

Thank you.