​Last Friday, 07 July 2023,  Weekly Bulletin took its cameras and visited Siyabonga Africa, a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) based in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni which is about to celebrate its 40 years of existence since it was established back in 1984. 
The organisation, according to Sarah-Jane Brink who is a Centre Manager, has worked with the Gauteng Department of Social Development for over twenty (20) years in an effort to eliminate poverty by linking young people to economic opportunities. This partnership, which spanned for so many years, has changed many lives and restored hope to thousands of young people.

Currently, the centre has two hundred and fifty (250) students in Gauteng participating in computer training, fashion design, carpentry, welding, baking, and small-scale farming as part of its skills development programme and provides meals daily to the students. 

“Our students don’t worry about food when they come here. Annually, we provide over eight thousand (8 000) plates of food to our students,” said Brink.

“We want to see a South Africa free from poverty. One of our biggest challenges as a country is unemployment. So, we are focusing our efforts at this point to address poverty by upskilling the youth and link them to job opportunities or help them start their own businesses so that they can take care of their families.”

“Last year, through our efforts, we created two hundred and forty-two (242) jobs through community projects around the country. Right now, we are starting a chilli farm in KZN where we teach people how to plant, harvest and produce chilli into sauces and other agro-processed products,” echoed Brink. 

She added, “In Marikana, North-West Province we are training beneficiaries at Marikana Youth Development Organisation with baking skills. Currently, they are able to produce and sell over 200 loaves of bread to the community on a daily basis.”

“In Tembisa, we have just set up a vegetable tunnel and a bakery at one of the schools. So, we help people set up businesses that are going to provide food to the community, provide jobs, and in turn, continue with community development,” said Brink. 

She further reiterated that 70% of their students last year were able to start their own businesses. Some of them will be showcasing their products during Mandela Day. 

Project Coordinator at Siyabonga Africa, Carol Mabope added that the centre also supports the Department’s Witpoort Treatment Centre based in Brakpan by assisting recovering service users with skills development.