Empower youth through education in S.A

2024 was a year of significant growth and impact for IkamvaYouth as we celebrated our 21st anniversary. This milestone underscores the enduring power of our mission to provide quality education and support to South Africa's youth. We remain committed to our vision of a world where young people have the opportunity to create sustainable livelihoods.

At the heart of our success lies the dedication and resilience of our learners, the support of our staff, Board members (past and present) and volunteers, and the invaluable partnerships we have forged with our donors and stakeholders. Thank you all. A special mention needs to go out to Joy Olivier and Makhosi Gogwana who established IkamvaYouth 21 years ago. From a bold idea to make a difference, an organisation with 15 branches in multiple provinces across South Africa was born and continues to leave an indelible mark on the education and youth development landscape in South Africa.

This year, we supported 4,022 learners nationally across our 15 branches, providing them with the quality support they need to achieve their potential. The IkamvaYouth Matric Class of 2024 achieved a remarkable 93% pass rate, a testament to the
effectiveness of our programme and the hard work of our learners. We are particularly proud that 85% of our learners achieved either a bachelor's pass or a diploma pass, ensuring their eligibility for higher education. This success reflects our commitment to quality education and our focus on preparing our learners for future success.

We are continuously exploring innovative ways to enhance our programmes and better serve our learners. I would like to thank each and every one of our partners who supported us through shared learnings, workshops and training, enriching our programmes for our learners.

As we move forward, IkamvaYouth will continue to prioritise innovation, adapt to the evolving needs of our learners, and cultivate strategic partnerships to maximise our impact. 2024 saw us embarking on these sorts of impactful partnerships. We partnered with Absa as their implementing partner for the Absa Consumer Education Training programme in the Eastern Cape, equipping young people with essential financial literacy skills. We also partnered with the GIBS Spirit of Youth
Programme which supported 160 learners with leadership development. Both of these programmes were a great success.

Furthermore, our passion for strengthening the After-School Sector continues to grow. Through our Community Collaboration Programme, we partnered with 18 organisations, leveraging the power of the IkamvaYouth model to support an additional 5,000+ learners. This collaborative approach demonstrates the transformative impact that can
be achieved through collective action.

Financially, 2024 presented significant challenges. The conclusion of the hugely successful Shell programme led to an unexpected revenue drop of R5 million, a gap that proved difficult to fill despite our best efforts to recalibrate our budget and operations as well as sourcing new revenue streams. These experiences underscore the importance of sustainability,
adaptability, and resilience in a challenging economic climate. We remain deeply grateful to Shell for their partnership over the past five years, which supported nearly 5,000 rural learners across 25 schools in
four provinces.

As we move forward, we will continue to seek innovative solutions, adapt to the evolving needs of our learners, and
strengthen our partnerships to ensure that IkamvaYouth remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for young people around the country.

Links:

• Support a learner today

• IkamvaYouth_Annual_Report_2024_2compressed.pdf (PDF)