The future is bright for these inspiring Gauteng youth
These Gauteng youngsters are proof that hard work, consistency and discipline are the building blocks of success.
The future belongs to the youth, and there is no better time to celebrate and honour them than the month of June.
South Africa will commemorate an important day in the country's history on June 16 - the Soweto Uprising of 1976.
It's hard to believe that just 50 years ago, the youth of Soweto took to the streets to fight for their rights.
"The Soweto Uprising was a turning point in the struggle for liberation in South Africa. After democracy was established in 1994, June was declared Youth Month and June 16 was declared National Youth Day," the South African government said.
Here's a look at four young people from South Africa who are changing the game in their respective fields.
Young entrepreneur: Gauri Singh
Instead of asking her parents for pocket money, Grade 5 learner Gauri Singh decided to start her own business. The 11-year-old's brand, Gauri's Gifts of Joy, specialises in curated presents for special occasions like Mother's Day and Father's Day. She also sells jewellery.
Her merchandise is stocked at stores in local businesses in Johannesburg, including several SPAR stores.
Singh has big plans for the future. Speaking to the Fourways Review, the tween says she would one day like to venture into skincare and baking.
“I would love to have businesses where people are happy with my products and the food I’m selling. I want my business to grow and become successful.”
Singh is definitely one to watch. She is just getting started!
Top achiever: Kamogelo Tshabalala
Gauteng's Kamogelo Aaron Tshabalala achieved eight distinctions in the 2025 matric exams, earning him a spot on South Africa's top achiever list. The former Acudeo College Kirkney learner is currently studying a BBusSc in Actuarial Science at the University of Cape Town.
"I started preparing in grade 10," Tshabalala told Times Live earlier this year. "It took discipline, long hours of study and a lot of prayer. My teachers and classmates were a big part of my journey."
He also sacrificed many school holidays to prepare himself for his final secondary school exam.
Tshabalala is proof that hard work, consistency and discipline go a long way.
Content creator: Grace Mondlana
Grace Mondlana is one of South Africa's top content creators. The former teacher has nearly 3 million followers on TikTok and over 800,000 on Instagram.
Humanz South Africa named Grace one of its Top 20 Creators Worth Following.
"Grace is a master of execution and community building. She also has a knack for weaving content tips into her everyday content and empowering other creators," Humanz said.
"She successfully hosted her own large-scale event, turning a single moment into a cross-platform viral experience, reaching over 39 million views in just 48 hours. This cemented her as a powerhouse creator and a generous thought leader who equips the next generation of creators."
Mondlana has worked with some of South Africa's top brands. She's not just taking a piece of the pie; she's rewriting the recipe and making a bigger one.
Woman in tech: Mas'ooda Varachia
Johannesburg's Mas'ooda Varachia was featured on Forbes Africa's '30 Under 30' list in 2025.
"The build up to this moment has required hard work, dedication and unwavering faith - dreams do come true. Taking it all in and embracing my power with every step," she said at the time.
The techpreneur founded the agritech startup USS Raven (Raven Technologies) in 2021. She also co-founded Eldo-Laser.
Varachia, who has an honours degree in Psychological Counselling, had different plans for her career before falling in love with tech.
"My idea, from the time I was young, was to just help people and impact people, and to be that someone that I needed when I was [myself] younger,” she told Forbes Africa.
"In my head, the only way you could help people was in the medical field. Then, I was introduced to the world of technology, where I got to learn about robotics, coding [and the] Internet of Things (IoT), and I instantly fell in love with it."
Now she is a force to reckon with in the tech space.
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