Kwa-Thema – Higher Health, in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), hosted the 2025 Youth Day event at Ekurhuleni East TVET College.
More than a thousand students from TVET colleges, community colleges, and universities filled the campus hall. Most attended to receive their completion certificates for the groundbreaking Higher Health Civic and Soft Skills NQF Level 5 QCTO qualification.
Thembeka Zulu, one of the graduates, commended the programme for equipping her with the skills to pull herself out of a dark place.
“My parents were unemployed. I worked at Pick n Pay after school just to make ends meet for my family of six. You can imagine my excitement and relief when I met someone who could take care of me for a change.
“I thought he was my Prince Charming, the man who would save my life — only to discover that he would make my life a living hell,” she explained.
Zulu said the relationship quickly turned abusive.
She stayed, however, because her partner supported her and her family financially. Despite this, she managed to pass matric, and lobola was paid for her.
“I love studying, but that opportunity was also taken away from me,” she added.
During the relationship, she became severely depressed and was eventually admitted to a psychiatric ward for 21 days. Zulu said she ultimately found the strength to apply to South West Gauteng College, where she enrolled in the higher health programme.
The National Higher Health Civic Education and Soft Skills Programme was designed to address the personal and social challenges facing youth.
Modules cover topics such as civic engagement, peer education, gender diversity and equality, mental health, disability, communicable diseases, and substance abuse.
The co-curricular programme runs independently of the academic curriculum.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am not just a survivor of GBV. I am someone who is healing, growing, and reclaiming her power.
There was a time when I lived in silence, carrying the weight of something that was never mine to bear. But I’ve come to understand that my voice matters. My story matters,” she said.
Minister of Higher Education Dr Nobuhle Nkabane noted that research shows 85% of job success is attributed to soft skills, underlining the importance of fostering civic education and soft skills among young people.
“Youth unemployment in South Africa remains one of the highest in the world, especially among black women in rural communities. So, our interventions must go deeper to address the challenges faced by those in rural areas,” she said.
Nkabane added that solutions are coming not only from government but from the youth themselves.
“This pioneering initiative is the first of its kind in Africa, developed in collaboration with UNESCO and aligned with the 17 sustainable development goals.
“It stands as a beacon of empowerment for the youth, preparing them to be agents of positive change in their communities and broader society,” she said.
To participate in the programme, one must:
• Be a registered student, lecturer, or staff member at any PSET institution
• Have a working email address
• Be able to access the internet
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