Discovery recently hosted a strategic dialogue at its head office in Sandton, Johannesburg. The meeting, Force for Good: Corporate Volunteering to Catalyze Youth Futures, organized in partnership with the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), focused on how corporate volunteering can become a coordinated and scalable force for youth employment in South Africa.
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Corporate leaders, global volunteer organizations, youth development professionals and technology partners discussed ways to bring youth into the economy.
Launching the event, Discovery Limited co-founder Barry Swartzberg stressed the need for businesses to play a more active and collaborative role in shaping South Africa's future workforce.
Andronika Mabuya, Head of CSI at Discovery Limited, formulated a strategic imperative for youth futures and collective action around the “unemployment epidemic facing South Africa”.
Highlighting the bitter reality of 20 lakh youth being unemployed in the country, he said, “The objective of this platform is to co-create and create solutions for young people.
“We believe that many youth are sitting at home without employment, not because they lack talent, but because clear pathways have not been created for them.
“As corporates, we need to step up and take shared responsibility – not just within our own sectors, but by working together to find meaningful, scalable solutions.
“If we continue to work in silos, we will not be able to achieve the needed impact or realize the true return on investment in youth initiatives.”
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A central theme that emerged was that youth development requires more than just access to online learning.
Speakers highlighted the importance of combining technical skills with consistent guidance, real-world experience, human connection and visible economic opportunity.
Nicole Cirillo, Executive Director of IAVE, shares global insights from the Call to Action for the Future of Volunteering, IAVE's framework that urges governments, business and civil society to strengthen the recognition, support and protection of volunteerism to accelerate sustainable development outcomes around the world.
The call to action was shaped by nearly 14,000 stakeholders in 164 countries and is available in eight languages.
Cirillo also highlighted the growing momentum around the United Nations International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026), which positions South Africa as an important market to demonstrate how volunteering can directly contribute to employment, resilience and economic inclusion.
The dialogue showcased a range of practical models that are already delivering measurable impact in communities across Africa.
IBM introduced its global IBM SkillsBuild program, a free education platform that provides learners with access to technology and workplace-readiness training in areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and cloud computing.
The program supports learners at multiple stages of development and aims to equip young people with internationally recognized digital credentials and practical skills for the future world of work.
IAVE has put that platform to work across Africa through its Reskilling Revolution Africa initiative (RRA), delivered in partnership with IBM SkillsBuild and local implementing organisations.
To date, the program has engaged over 54,000 learners across Africa, earned over 2,000 digital credentials and completed over 153,000 learning hours.
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Frontline Insights
One of the most powerful contributions was from Langelehle Gumede of Lungelo Youth Development, who shared frontline implementation insights from KwaZulu-Natal.
His presentation highlighted the realities facing many young South Africans, including a lack of visible opportunities, limited access to devices and connectivity, and a lack of mentorship and guidance in unfamiliar industries.
“Not just skills. We need real pathways: internships, apprenticeships and first jobs.
“Without that visible destination, the journey seems meaningless,” Gumede said during the session.
Discussions emphasized that successful youth development programs must be designed with communities, not just for them, and that facilitator support, mentorship and local context are critical to learner retention and long-term success.
mass effect
Innovation platform Zlto also showcased how technology-enabled volunteering and incentive systems are helping to create measurable social impact at scale.
Through its digital platform, youth are rewarded for completing community tasks, learning programs and entrepreneurship activities.
Additionally, corporate and development partners gain access to verified impact data and engagement insights.
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To date, the Zlto platform has registered approximately 1.5 million users, facilitated over 3.3 million transactions and tracked approximately 2.7 million volunteer and learning hours across multiple initiatives.
The dialogue concluded with a facilitated session that focused on defining a shared cross-sector objective for joint action on youth futures and identifying practical next steps for collaboration between corporate South Africa, implementing partners and the broader volunteer ecosystem.
Participants agreed that corporate volunteerism has the potential to become a strategic driver of youth employment when intentionally structured around work pathways, digital inclusion, mentorship and ecosystem partnerships.
The gathering also laid the foundation for future cooperation linked to IVY 2026 and broader efforts to establish volunteerism as a key mechanism for inclusive economic participation and sustainable development.