kwa-thema – A 20-year-old woman originally from White City has been selected as co-author of a chapter for the 2026 South African Child Gauge, an annual publication by the Children's Institute at UCT.
Thandolwenkosi Nkosi is a child rights activist whose leadership journey began in 2021. She is working as a Communications and Network Officer at Hold My Hand, a national campaign supporting the National Strategy for Accelerating Action for Children (NSAAC).
Speaking to The African Reporter about her recent achievement, she said it still feels surreal to have the opportunity to collaborate with an esteemed group of researchers and activists from across the country.
“I don't think I can believe it even now, but the big thing was that all the little work I've done, all the lives I've changed, is now paying off. And this is just the beginning.
He said, “For me, this achievement means hope and only hard work and dedication is needed to achieve good results. For my community, it means generational development and stability.”
The University of Cape Town Children's Institute selected him after consultation with his former executive managers, taking into account his leadership experience.
“It was a great experience and quite enlightening. I got to hear their experiences. You got to see that your ideas and vision for the youth are not too 'crazy'.”
Thandolwenkosi said, “It's a big challenge for me because I'm co-authoring for the first time, but I really enjoy it.”
He talked about his interest in teenage identity.
“My interest was greatly inspired by the daily lives of young people in my community. Many factors can influence who you become, especially when you are a young person living in South Africa.
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She said, “When young people's dreams die, it causes a significant shift in identity. I have always been passionate about children's rights, so I thought it was important to connect teen identity and its impact to emerging issues in our country.”
Thandolwenkosi believes that conversations around identity are important in finding solutions to key issues affecting young people.
“It is important to maintain the conversation about this because it ensures that the next generation will not have to experience the same problems we are experiencing now.
“These conversations break down the barriers that teens face and that impact their personalities as adults,” he shared.
Thandolwenkosi has always been dedicated to making a difference in her community. At the age of just 16, she won a trolley library during the Road to Literacy Library Trolley campaign.
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The competition was sponsored by Avbob and Oxford University Press. Thandolwenkosi had to nominate a primary school or pre-school by writing a persuasive letter as to why the nominated school deserves to receive the trolley library. He chose Ntokozweni Primary School in Kwa-Thema.
He discussed some of the challenges youth face in their search for purpose.
“As young people, we tend to let other people's lives dominate our journey. Economic instability also plays a role in finding your identity and purpose.
“Another factor is educational inequalities, which are often influenced by economic instability. It is difficult to get a quality education in SA, so not all young people achieve their educational goals,” he said.
She further says that her leadership journey is inspired by the strong women who raised her. He shared some advice for the youth and his future plans.
“I hope one day I can look back and see how far I've come and how far I've come. For the youth, I hope we don't drop the ball.
“Yes, it's hard, sometimes discouraging, but things do get better, and they will get better,” he concluded.
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