Tshepo Mabuya is a Community Development Practitioner, Social Entrepreneur and public speaker with over 5 years of experience in community development, leadership, public speaking, and Non Profit Management. He is an Activator, Ignitor, World Economic Forum Global Shaper Top 100 Brightest Young Minds Alumni. And most importantly, he is a change driver. 

What do you consider to be your field of passion/expertise?

My biggest passion is youth development through accelerated entrepreneurship, education and connection to opportunity. This is what I do in various organisations that I interact with.

What change are you keen to drive?

The change that I am willing to drive is that of promoting access to entrepreneurship and to develop the capacity of non-profits in order to promote youth development. 

How are you driving change?

I am driving change by advocating for a transformed corporate South Africa through the Black Management Forum by calling on Corporate South Africa to reflect the demographics of the country and by advocating for the capacity building and advancement of the SMME and NPO Sector through Afrika Mayibuye Entrepreneurship Hub Accelerator NPC.

How has ACTIVATE! supported you so far in driving this change?

ACTIVATE has supported me by affording me the opportunity to do the NQF Community Development Course which has improved my way of thinking and approach towards community development and youth development. This has assisted me in ensuring that I build a sustainable non-profit company.

In addition to that, ACTIVATE! has also supported me through the SWITCH platform which has equipped me with the soft skills that unlocked my way of thinking and applying innovation in all ideas that I have. However, this support did not start at SWITCH or CDCC but on the 18^th January 2013 when I took part in the first residential training where I was supported through tools such as the “washing line” methodology, project planning model and the 198 ways of non-violent action and always through personal development.

What do you think is the priority in setting the agenda for our country in the next 5 years?

The priority is to put young people at the centre when it comes to planning implementing as monitoring and evaluation of all the goals and targets that we set for ourselves as a nation. This is because a youthful country like South Africa requires that all goals and achievements benefit its young people.

In addition to that, the priority in setting the agenda for the country in the next 5 years is to create an effective developmental state that will champion youth development through connection go opportunity so that the youth of this country will become leaders for a winning nation.

You recently spoke at a National Imbizo (dialogue) on land redistribution and possibilities for youth. What were some of your key points?

Some of the points which I touched on was the historical analysis of how the minority government which represented the interests of the minority legitimised the dispassion of land through various statutes, which made such a move legitimate. I also spoke about how important it is for the majority government in present day needs to legitimise and ensure that there is land expropriation without compensation. I also touched on the issue of how important it is for young people to benefit if land is returned in the hands of the majority on issues such as free education the elimination of Illicit financial flows, as well as tax erosion. 

The backbone of my presentation was also that the expropriation of land does not mean that every Thabo and Lerato will own, but that whenever they want to pursue various ways of doing business farming or building a firm-since land is a very important factor of production-it will make it easy for them to access the land because currently it is very impossible for them to access the land. 

So my issue was that the majority government must start making tough choices which will eventually lead to economic freedom and youth development. 

Tell us more about your role within the Black Management Forum (BMF).

I am the National Projects Officer of the Black Management Forum. My role there is to mobilise partners and stakeholders in all projects that the Black Management Forum Student Chapter is undertaking, such as the issue of higher education transformation, skills development, and entrepreneurship development amongst young people. 

How do you motivate yourself?

I motivate myself by reflecting on my past achievements as well as looking up to the wonderful work that the Activators across the country are doing. 

Final comment?

There is no right time of changing the state of South Africa than at this moment. The best architects of this change are us young people and if we continue to be organised and continue to collaborate like that, eventually we will build the South Africa of our aspirations. Let us stay true to the cause. When some of us stumble, let us lift one another and continue the journey. Nothing comes easier. Most importantly we are the custodians of the revolution that awaits South Africa. Asante Sana!