To mark Youth Month and recognise the importance of tapping into the powerful insights of South Africa’s youth, Coronation Fund Managers invited 35 finance and business university students to its Cape Town offices for an interactive discussion session with CEO Anton Pillay.

Students from the University of the Western Cape and the University of Cape Town met with Anton and other Coronation team members under the theme #HaveYourSay. During the session, students discussed their experiences and aspirations as a young person studying towards a career in finance and business in South Africa and shared their views on what motivates them, how they see themselves contributing to society and what purpose and values drives their ambitions.

“We are committed to travelling alongside young people in their mission to change the world for the better. They are the future contributors to society and leaders of the country, and their voices are critically important to discussions about how we, as an industry, can support young people as they work towards their future and career. “And I know that it’s not easy for young people today.

The burden of unemployment is still concentrated among the youth, with those aged between 15 and 34 years accounting for 63.4% of the total number of unemployed persons in South Africa. This has to change, and we will continue to be a part of driving this change through our long-term, youth-focused programmes,” says Anton.

Addressing a 2019 Youth Day celebration on 16 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on the private sector to create pathways into work for young people who are prepared to learn, work hard and better themselves. Coronation is doing just that through our continued investment in long-term youth initiatives that support education and provide meaningful opportunities for the youth from cradle to career.

Several of the students in attendance at the Youth Month event were part of the Young Investor Programme (YIP) programme at the University of the Western Cape, while others were recipients of Coronation’s Bursary Programme.

The YIP programme aims to bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge obtained at university and practical work requirements, preparing budding asset managers for the challenges and rewards of the finance and investment industry. In addition to our early childhood initiatives, the Coronation Bursary Programme and the South African Innovation Learning Intervention (SAILI) high school scholarship programme has given 223 university students and high school learners from underprivileged communities across South Africa the chance to achieve their dreams of a better future.

To ensure they are able to bridge the gap between their studies and the world of work, vacation roles and internships are also made available. In addition to education funding, they also receive mentoring and access to support services. Coronation is also a participant in the Youth Employment Services, or YES, initiative, which is a partnership between government, business, labour and civil society that aims to create employment for one million young South Africans over the course of the next three years.

Since its launch in March 2018, the initiative has placed over 18 000 young people in employment opportunities and is providing business infrastructure and support through its community hubs. “We truly believe in the power of our youth and the contribution that they can make to the financial services industry and our organisation. If they are given the right amount of support, they can go on to make real change and have a positive impact on society and our country” says Anton.

Durban, South Africa - Presto, a youth-owned business, has an app which provides access to study guides written by the top performing students in South Africa. To celebrate Youth Day, for two days only, Presto is giving away their study hacks guide for free (worth R100) to all learners in South Africa.

This book is packed with the best study strategies by the top performing students in South Africa, including a Rhodes Scholar and a learner who came first for Matric in 2012.

“We believe that this guide can improve the marks for all learners in SA”, says Shivad Singh, the 24-year-old founder and CEO of Presto, a youth-owned business. Youth day commemorates the role of the youth who fought against the Apartheid regime. Just like how the Soweto Uprising laid the grounds for the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of the Apartheid Era, we hope that by Presto giving their study hacks book to all South African learners for free, it will pave the way for an improvement in learners’ marks, leading to a rise in the standards of education across the country.

This campaign is one of the first steps in Presto’s mission to improve education in South Africa.

“Every child has the capacity to be a genius”, says Singh. “We want to unlock that potential in as many learners as possible in South Africa and then the rest of Africa.”

To access the study hacks books, simply download the Presto Books app by searching “Presto Books” in the app store. Once the app is downloaded, click on “Study Hacks” book to get your free guide for you or your child. About Presto Books (Pty) Ltd: Presto Books is a youth-owned company that gets the top performing students in South Africa to create educational material to benefit their peers.

The content is available through their online website and Android and IOS app. Presto is a subsidiary of Head Start Education, a company which serves as the Gateway to Africa for the leading education technology companies in the world, in order to lead the advancement of education across the continent.

Grade eleven learners in and around Port Elizabeth and East London have responded in their droves to be a part of the Algoa FM Youth Day Crew on Friday the 16th of June.

“After an exciting audition process, the group of youths who will take charge of our radio station have been selected and we’re proud to be in a position to offer them this wonderful opportunity,” says Programme Manager, Baydu Adams.  

Algoa FM’s presenters, news readers, digital team, production engineers and music compiler, will be stripped of their duties on the day, to allow the youth the opportunity to show off their individual talents.

The strengths and interests of each learner has been taken into consideration to best allocate an individual set of responsibilities to them.

They will now go through a rigorous training process.

This is the fourth consecutive takeover by a Youth Day Crew at Algoa FM.

Tune in on Friday, June 16th, to find out what really interests the youth of Algoa Country. 

Bigger and better than ever before, with growing international status, the 25^th edition of the ICON Comic and Games Convention (ICON CGC), Home of the Super-Hero, returns to Johannesburg’s Gallagher Convention Centre from the 16^th-18^th June 2017 over the Youth Day Long Weekend.

It is South Africa’s longest running and largest pop culture event - the destination for leading gaming and pop culture experts and anyone looking to celebrate their fantasy world while being immersed in a compelling and exciting storyline. This celebration of gaming, story-telling, role-playing and tech positions ICON CGC as the ideal introduction to gaming for people of all ages and interests. SA’s most important gathering of geeks, it is seen by industry insiders as being on a par with the best hobby gaming conventions in the world.

There is a geek in all of us. Geeks set the stage for incredible story-telling, and thanks to this, we’re witness to it in mainstream life. Countless big budget sci-fi and fantasy television series and mass market blockbuster movies we see today are based on comics and games, previously seen as the purview of ‘geekdom’ alone. Conventions such as #ICON2017 facilitate a rapidly growing audience being able to join and learn from the geeks who created such entertainment masterpieces. Entertainment that is based on incredible story-telling.

This year ICON raises its ‘game’ substantially, showcasing international guests, local thought leaders, over 40 speaker panels, expert player showdowns, a comedy event and innovative activations including multinational tech giants such as Canon Gigabyte and MakerBot, amongst others. Media Partners, Student Brands and Nickelodeon will ensure that the best moments of this 25^th Edition live on beyond the boundaries of the convention. 

Whether you’re into card or table-top gaming, LARPing, tech-gaming or Cosplaying, an aspiring author or even a regular console fanatic, the highly acclaimed Convention will help define the ‘how to’ of the increasingly mainstream and sophisticated gaming industry. Fantasists, mythologists, tech heads role players and more come into an immersive world such as ICON to be inspired, learn, experiment, observe and compete in a celebration of fantasy worlds and story-telling. 

Les Allen, ICON’s director says, “What we’ve learnt from a quarter century convening ICON is that ‘Geeks’ are no longer on the fringe. Mainstream media exposure has made their expertise, enthusiasm and points of obsession with hobbies and intellectual pursuits accessible. Gaming and storytelling releases a part of everyone’s being, we just facilitate access to it in a myriad of ways.” 

International Cosplay Guest of Honour for #ICON2017 is the sensational Linda Le, aka. “Vampy Bit Me”, rated as one of the ten most popular cosplayers in the world and an inspiration to all those who invest in building characters for fantasy world. Gaming industry insider James Stutter, a published author and the co-creator of the fantasy Pathfinder’ Roleplaying Game and Creative Director of the new space version Starfinder also joins the Convention. Both will participate in the convention for all three days.

Those looking forward to the much anticipated movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can win double passes to the film’s first screening in South Africa on 21 July by attending either of two Valerian panels at ICON2017. The panel titled “Create an Alien” will see James designing an alien species from the ground up, based on a world from the Valerian cosmos. Partnering James is Sean Izaakse, current artist on Marvel's "Avengers" comic book - he'll be drawing the monster as James designs it. 

Local thought leaders included in the line-up of panellists include tech analyst and commentator Arthur Goldstuck, and Nikki Bush, well know columnist and specialist in the field of ‘child play and development’ matters.

Visitors to the convention have an opportunity to be real super heroes by visiting the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) drive and donate to help save lives. One lucky donor stands the chance of winning a 3D printed replica of themselves as a superhero – sponsored by MakerBot, the global leader in the 3D printing industry. 

As with previous years, Saturday (17^th June) sees six of SA’s funniest comedians take to the stage at the ICON Comedy Evening. With limited seats and tickets only available to weekend ticket holders, or those attending ICON on the Saturday, this extremely popular evening will have those attending rolling in the aisles with laughter as the comedians make light of geek culture.

EVENT DETAILS:

Venue: Hall 2, Gallagher Convention Centre
Dates: Friday 16^th June / Saturday 17^th June / Sunday 18^th June
Times: Friday, Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
Sunday, 9 am - 5 pm

TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets are on sale now and start at R120 for a one day pass. Weekend passes and limited VIP tickets available. 

Visit the ICON FB page http://www.facebook.com/ICONCGC or the www.iconcgc.co.za website to purchase tickets. Follow ICON on Twitter and Instagram. 

Bigger and better than ever before, with growing international status, the 25^th edition of the ICON Comic and Games Convention (ICON CGC), Home of the Super-Hero, returns to Johannesburg’s Gallagher Convention Centre from the 16^th-18^th June 2017 over the Youth Day Long Weekend..

It is South Africa’s longest running and largest pop culture event - the destination for leading gaming and pop culture experts and anyone looking to celebrate their fantasy world while being immersed in a compelling and exciting storyline. This celebration of gaming, story-telling, role-playing and tech positions ICON CGC as the ideal introduction to gaming for people of all ages and interests. SA’s most important gathering of geeks, it is seen by industry insiders as being on a par with the best hobby gaming conventions in the world.

There is a geek in all of us. Geeks set the stage for incredible story-telling, and thanks to this, we’re witness to it in mainstream life. Countless big budget sci-fi and fantasy television series and mass market blockbuster movies we see today are based on comics and games, previously seen as the purview of ‘geekdom’ alone. Conventions such as #ICON2017 facilitate a rapidly growing audience being able to join and learn from the geeks who created such entertainment masterpieces. Entertainment that is based on incredible story-telling.

This year ICON raises its ‘game’ substantially, showcasing international guests, local thought leaders, over 40 speaker panels, expert player showdowns, a comedy event and innovative activations including multinational tech giants such as Canon Gigabyte and MakerBot, amongst others. Media Partners, Student Brands and Nickelodeon will ensure that the best moments of this 25^th Edition live on beyond the boundaries of the convention.

Whether you’re into card or table-top gaming, LARPing, tech-gaming or Cosplaying, an aspiring author or even a regular console fanatic, the highly acclaimed Convention will help define the ‘how to’ of the increasingly mainstream and sophisticated gaming industry. Fantasists, mythologists, tech heads role players and more come into an immersive world such as ICON to be inspired, learn, experiment, observe and compete in a celebration of fantasy worlds and story-telling.

Les Allen, ICON’s director says, “What we’ve learnt from a quarter century convening ICON is that ‘Geeks’ are no longer on the fringe. Mainstream media exposure has made their expertise, enthusiasm and points of obsession with hobbies and intellectual pursuits accessible. Gaming and storytelling releases a part of everyone’s being, we just facilitate access to it in a myriad of ways.”

International Cosplay Guest of Honour for #ICON2017 is the sensational Linda Le, aka. “Vampy Bit Me”, rated as one of the ten most popular cosplayers in the world and an inspiration to all those who invest in building characters for fantasy world. Gaming industry insider James Stutter, a published author and the co-creator of the fantasy Pathfinder’ Roleplaying Game and Creative Director of the new space version Starfinder also joins the Convention. Both will participate in the convention for all three days.

Those looking forward to the much anticipated movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can win double passes to the film’s first screening in South Africa on 21 July by attending either of two Valerian panels at ICON2017. The panel titled “Create an Alien” will see James designing an alien species from the ground up, based on a world from the Valerian cosmos. Partnering James is Sean Izaakse, current artist on Marvel's "Avengers" comic book - he'll be drawing the monster as James designs it.

Local thought leaders included in the line-up of panellists include tech analyst and commentator Arthur Goldstuck, and Nikki Bush, well know columnist and specialist in the field of ‘child play and development’ matters.

Visitors to the convention have an opportunity to be real super heroes by visiting the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) drive and donate to help save lives. One lucky donor stands the chance of winning a 3D printed replica of themselves as a superhero – sponsored by MakerBot, the global leader in the 3D printing industry.

As with previous years, Saturday (17^th June) sees six of SA’s funniest comedians take to the stage at the ICON Comedy Evening.  With limited seats and tickets only available to weekend ticket holders, or those attending ICON on the Saturday, this extremely popular evening will have those attending rolling in the aisles with laughter as the comedians make light of geek culture.

EVENT DETAILS:

Venue: Hall 2, Gallagher Convention Centre

Dates: Friday 16^th June / Saturday 17^th June / Sunday 18^th June

Times: Friday, Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm

Sunday, 9 am - 5 pm

TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets are on sale now and start at R120 for a one day pass. Weekend passes and limited VIP tickets available.

Visit the ICON FB page http://www.facebook.com/ICONCGC or the www.iconcgc.co.za website to purchase tickets. Follow ICON on Twitter and Instagram.

Residents of Galeshewe in Kimberley are in for a spectacular treat when the Kimberley Entertainers Club presents its free must-see show at the Mayibuye Centre on Wednesday 15 June, 2016 at 2h30pm.

A special performance to celebrate the youth, this show which includes magical illusions,fun, juggling and theatrics, will feature a host of special guest entertainers including Siyanda Tofile from Cape Town and Luzuko Bedi, a bronze medalist in the South African National Magic Championships.

The Kimberley Entertainers Club, an extracurricular programme for the city’s youth that is sponsored by The National Lottery Commission, meets every Wednesday and is run by the College of Magic, a Cape Town based non profit organisation.

The Club’s programme is coordinated by teaching staff from Cape Town and designated community leaders who are introducing learners to the fascinating world of the entertaining performance arts.

“In an age where creativity, leadership  and entrepreneurship play such an important role in the lives of young people, learning to perform the theatrical arts is an exciting way to develop a multiplicity of these essential skills. Public performances like the the show on 15 June gives these aspirant entertainers amazing opportunities to hone their skills and they cannot wait to perform for the public”, says  David Gore, director of the College of Magic and founder of the Kimberley Entertainers Club.

Now in its sixth year, the Kimberley College of Magic programme is funded in 2016 by the National Lottery Commission and co-ordinated by the College of Magic, a non-profit organisation,based in Claremont, Cape Town. Participating in the programme has  opened employment opportunities for many of the students.

The public is invited to attend the not-to-be-missed special Kimberley Entertainers Club ‘s performance at the Mayibuye Centre on Wednesday 15 June, 2016 at 2h30pm. Entrance is free.

For more information about the show and the Kimberley Entertainers Club, please +27 (0)21 683 5480 or visit www.colllegeofmagic.com