Investing in young lives: A pathway to harnessing the demographic dividend and advancing human capital development – The Mail & Guardian

Investing in young lives: A pathway to harnessing the demographic dividend and advancing human capital development – The Mail & Guardian

South Africa is standing at a demographic crossroads. According to Statistics South Africa’s 2024 Mid-Year Population Estimates, the population under the age of 35 is approximately 36.5 million, representing about 58% of the total population of 63.02 million. The country, therefore, possesses a powerful engine for socio-economic transformation: its young people..  But this engine must be fuelled—through investments in health, education, gender e…