More than 27 years after the election of its first democratic government, South Africa has evolved from a country with a system of governance once characterised by the UN as a ‘crime against humanity’ to a robust constitutional democracy.

As the country grapples with consolidating and advancing this democracy, a new generation of South Africans are lending their voices to the social, economic and political discourse, expressing their unique experiences as the youth of South Africa born into the promise of freedom, only to find themselves in the throes of a democratic project still in the making.

Youth aged 18–34 years constitute 30% of South Africa’s population, yet too few young people’s voices find expression in South Africa’s corridors of power.

In both the public and private sectors, decisions made today have a direct impact on the lives and futures of young people who remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces.

In order to understand the many challenges facing young people in South Africa, economic, social and political issues – now exacerbated by Covid-19 – need to be viewed through a youth lens.

This could also assist with identifying ways in which young people can contribute to building a better South Africa. The Youth Submission to the APRM provides an opportunity to do both.

This report was compiled by young people and civil society organisations in South Africa during the course of 2020 and 2021, guided by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and Jasoro Consulting. It was the main output of the South African APRM Popular Sensitisation Project