South African Youth Economic Council

What South African Youth Economic Council does

South African Youth Economic Council (SAYEC) is a youth-led nonprofit economic and legal policy advocacy organization founded in 2021 and registered with the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission under registration number 2021/1265/79. Headquartered in Johannesburg, SAYEC operates nationally across South Africa and addresses youth unemployment — which it cites at approximately 64–66.5% — by promoting youth participation and integration into the mainstream economy. Its core activities are advocacy representation in government, business, and civil society; policy recommendations backed by research and grassroots input; and the organization of multi-stakeholder dialogues including the Youth Jobs Imbizo, Energy Summit, Skills Development Symposium, Mining Indaba Business Dialogue, and Women In Leadership Convention. SAYEC has secured convener partnerships with the Presidential Climate Commission and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, and its leadership appears regularly on South African broadcast outlets (SABC News, Newzroom Afrika, eNCA).

SAYEC does not develop or sell a technology product; its "technology" footprint consists of a Wix-hosted website, a basic business sign-up portal hosted on DigitalOcean, and owned social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube). The organization operates with a small team of approximately 7 staff and is led by Founder and Executive Chairman Bonga Makhanya, President Kanakana Mudzanani, and Communications Manager / National Spokesperson Sthandiwe Msomi.

SAYEC's revenue model is donation- and sponsorship-based. It solicits individual donations — publishing FNB banking details publicly — and corporate sponsorships to fund its operations and advocacy activities. It does not price or sell services commercially, and no revenue, funding rounds, or grants are disclosed on its website or in public filings. Its go-to-market is community-led: grassroots activism, policy advocacy, and the convening of branded events that draw government ministers, business leaders, and youth participants, with earned media and direct engagement as its primary distribution channels.

Name

South African Youth Economic Council

Legal name

South African Youth Economic Council

Website

https://sayec.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South African Youth Economic Council (SAYEC) is a youth-led nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. It promotes youth economic participation through policy advocacy, multi-stakeholder convening, and branded events such as the Youth Jobs Imbizo and Energy Summit, funded by donations and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Economic Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Youth economic advocacy
• Policy advocacy services
• Skills development programs
• Economic policy research
• Youth empowerment events

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: SAYEC relies on donations and sponsorships from individuals and organizations to fund its operations and advocacy work. The organization publicly publishes its FNB banking details for donor contributions and encourages corporate sponsorships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

South African Youth Economic Council is a nonprofit advocacy organization that conducts youth economic and legal policy research, convenes sector-specific events and dialogues (Jobs Imbizo, Energy Summit, Skills Development Symposium, Mining Indaba Business Dialogue, Women In Leadership Convention), and submits policy recommendations to address youth unemployment and economic exclusion in South Africa. It engages with government, private sector, and youth stakeholders to drive economic inclusion outcomes.

Product overview

The South African Youth Economic Council (SAYEC) is a youth-led economic and legal advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. It does not offer a software product platform or modules. Its services consist of advocacy initiatives, policy research and recommendations, and the organization and curation of events, dialogues, summits, and conferences focused on youth economic participation in South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Advocacy and Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosting of annual flagship events including the Youth Jobs Imbizo, Energy Summit, Skills Development Symposium, Mining Indaba Business Dialogue, and Women In Leadership Convention

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Provincial Government of KwaZulu-NatalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2023SAYEC partnered with the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal to host the inaugural KZN Youth Economic Indaba in KwaMashu. The event was designed to discuss the acceleration of the province's economic recovery plan and youth economic participation.
• Presidential Climate CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2023SAYEC partnered with the Presidential Climate Commission to co-host the Youth & Just Transition Opportunities Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre. The partnership aimed to provide a platform for youth-owned businesses in the renewable energy sector to showcase themselves as guest panelists or exhibitors. SAYEC's Executive Chairman Bonga Makhanya participated in the Presidential Climate Commission's Just Energy Transition multi-stakeholder consultation on 6 May 2022.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator: South African nonprofit solving youth unemployment through demand-led matching, skills bridging, and policy advocacy with government and business. Highly comparable mission and stakeholder set, but with much larger funding base and measurable outcomes.
• Youth Employment Service (YES): South African youth-employment programme combining corporate pledges, work placements, and policy advocacy. Most directly comparable to SAYEC in target population (youth) and problem (unemployment), though YES is more programme-heavy and less advocacy-led.
• Activate!: South African youth leadership and civic-engagement movement producing cohorts of public-spirited young leaders. Comparable target demographic (youth) and capacity-building angle, complementing SAYEC's leadership-focused programming such as the Women In Leadership Convention.

Broad incumbents

• DG Murray Trust: Major South African philanthropic investor funding youth employment, education, and early childhood development. Comparable in focus on youth unemployment but operates as a grantmaker rather than a convenor.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Pan-African philanthropy catalysing youth entrepreneurship through training, mentorship, and seed capital. Comparable in targeting African youth economic empowerment at scale, with a programmatic rather than advocacy-led model.
• National Youth Development Agency (NYDA): South African state agency mandated to address youth unemployment, skills development, and entrepreneurship. Overlaps with SAYEC on mission but as a public-sector incumbent with broader remit, deeper budget, and direct policy authority.

Emerging players

• African Youth Economic Council: Continental body advocating for youth economic inclusion across Africa. Comparable youth-led advocacy model and economic-inclusion mandate, though operating at continental rather than national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sayoutheconomic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCY-Qjz86PE6mBaPbvP2drKA
• Instagraminstagram.com/sayoutheconcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-african-youth-economic-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South African Youth Economic Council