Sentebale convenes innovative funders, business leaders and corporations in Southern Africa to accelerate prosperity for youth in the region
A private panel and dinner in Johannesburg with Sentebale Co-Founding Patron Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka MBE, George Sibotshiwe, political advisor, non-profit RadioWorkshop and leading corporate foundations
JOHANNESBURG, SA, OCTOBER 3, 2024 – Sentebale, the non-profit organization working to enhance health, wealth generation, and climate resilience for young people in Southern Africa, continued its week of programming today in Johannesburg with a private panel discussion and reception. The evening builds on the momentum garnered in Miami earlier this year when Sentebale and LEBEC, a women-led innovative finance and philanthropy firm, convened corporate foundations and other innovative funders to discuss the importance and opportunities of catalytic giving and partnerships. Panellists to continue the discussion this evening were Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex; Hector Mujica, Head of Economic Opportunity, The Americas, Google.org; Alix Lebec, Founder & CEO of LEBEC, and Stacey Boyd, Founder and CEO, Olivela. The panel was moderated by Sentebale’s Board Chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka MBE, who was born and raised in the region herself, and with a keynote address by George Sibotshiwe, a notable political strategist in Southern Africa. Discussion also took place with Radio Workshop Executive Director, Vuyo Lutseke, and youth reporters Mary-Ann Nobele and Musa Khuzwayo. Radio Workshop trains young people across Africa to use radio and podcasts to tackle the issues that matter to them and their communities. They offered a live perspective of the challenges facing young people today. Panellists focused on the next generation, and accelerating sustainable solutions for prosperity in the region, including closing the digital divide.
Key soundbites include:
Lerisha Naidu, Country Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie South Africa said, “Sentebale’s targeted efforts to empower youth have never been stronger or more resolute. Through these focused efforts, we believe society’s soul, as Nelson Mandela said, rests in capable hands.” On the importance of including youth voices in conversations about change, Founding Patron Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex said, “I’ve made it one of my life’s missions to create a platform for young voices, and we have seen time and time again that young voices, when they are listened to, have the solutions.”
“Universal access is important, but can we please make it safer for people, especially the Global South, so we don’t have the same problems as in the Global North. Access is a double-edged sword; and for us as a society and people in positions of power and authority, I see no
excuse for why we can’t change this double-edged sword into something that is beneficial to the entire world.” Sentebale Board Chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka MBE said, “At Sentebale we are here to learn, and we are here to learn in the context of Southern Africa. We will share our data and how we do things, and we will learn from others and how they do things so we can optimize, enrich and create opportunity to deliver at scale.” George Sibotshiwe, Founder and Managing Partner, Nubicon Africa said, “Southern Africa has the greatest opportunity for prosperity of youth due to the youth bulge. Opportunity is available, but not evenly distributed. Africa must ensure that more people have access to opportunities and part of that equalization is digitalization.” “We must raise our children to think about themselves as opportunity makers, and not participants in economies they are already outside of.” Alix Lebec, Founder & CEO of LEBEC said, “The centre of change in the world is pivoting – Africa has the fastest growing youth population in the world. I feel emotional about the young people I’ve just met in Lesotho, and philanthropy and financial markets today are failing these young people. Philanthropy alongside creative investments can deliver.”
Hector Mujica, Head of Economic Opportunity, The Americas, Google.org said, “Youth get it. They know where opportunities are, they know what the challenges are. We always push the education agenda as it being the thing that will save it all. But when we think about broader markets, we come to realize we are leaving a lot of people out of opportunity.”
Stacey Boyd, Founder and CEO, Olivela said, “I really believe in systems thinking. And Sentebale is an incredible example of this. In seeing the work, we saw that it touches almost every part of a community’s life. It’s rare to find an organization that so comprehensively addresses the things communities need.”
Musa Khuzwayo, youth reporter with Radio Workshop said, “When you do get a seat at the table, don’t build the table higher, make it longer. And invite young people to the table. Our ideas work, and we have passion and when you combine that, we will win.”
Examples of Sentebale’s interventions with children and young people include:
- Teaching critical life skills that build confidence and lead to success.
- Vocational training, career exploration and entrepreneurship for young women to build career paths that contribute to a future that is more equal.
- Providing inclusive services to address mental and physical wellbeing.
- Working with youth and families on understanding the changing natural environment, and how their livelihoods can adapt.
- The holistic care of young people living with HIV/AIDS, including psychosocial support.
This evening in Johannesburg is supported by title sponsor Baker McKenzie, and with strategic advice from LEBEC, Iain Rawlinson of Rawlinson Partners, and Instinct Brand Equity.
- to Southern Africa for the international funders and business leaders closes tomorrow, October 4, with a private working session, alongside Southern African organizations. The contingent will examine the regional challenges relating to digital inclusion, workplace readiness, entrepreneurship, intra-SADC youth migration, and gender inequity. These challenges affect a vast number of organizations focused on the wellbeing and prosperity of young people in Southern Africa and impact Sentebale’s capacity to deliver impact at scale.
For more information about Sentebale’s work please visit sentebale.org.
For imagery please visit the Sentebale Getty Publicity site: https://publicity.gettyimages.com/event/sentebale-return-to-southern-africa For media enquiries please contact: Megan Matthews Head of Marketing & Communications, Sentebale Email: media@sentebale.org / megan.matthews@sentebale.org
Notes to editors:
About Sentebale
Sentebale works with children and young people and their communities to create sustainable solutions that address issues of health, wealth inequity, and climate resilience in the Southern African countries of Lesotho and Botswana.
The organization was founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and HRH Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 as a response to the needs of children and young people in Lesotho and in memory of their late mothers. The name means ‘forget-me-not’ in the Sesotho language, representing a pledge to remember the most vulnerable children in the region.
Over the last eighteen years, Sentebale has developed solutions informed by children, their caregivers and the young people the organization serves, to address both systemic issues and individual needs of the moment. This work includes providing and enabling the care of young people living with HIV/AIDS, addressing mental health issues, career exploration and entrepreneurship, critical life skills and advocacy; and offering vocational training and education opportunities. Sentebale’s work has recently expanded into the regeneration of landscapes to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change on the natural resources that communities rely on.
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