Young people gathered at EmpowaYouth Week marquee

Next Activation • 3–7 May 2027

Koinonia Bible Church, Sebokeng, Zone 14

Vaal EmpowaYouth Week.Powering South Africa’s Youth Economy.

Name: EmpowaYouth Week Vaal 2027
Start: 2027-05-03T08:00:00+02:00
End: 2027-05-07T15:00:00+02:00
Location: Koinonia Bible Church

EmpowaYouth is not a programme, it is a national power shift. Born in the townships and scaling across the nation, it is South Africa’s most urgent and unapologetic response to systemic youth exclusion — a catalytic engine bridging township youth into the future economy through employment, enterprise, and education pathways at scale.

Dates3–7 May 20275 Action-Packed Days

Daily Times08:00 – 15:00 DailyMorning & Afternoon

VenueKoinonia Bible ChurchSebokeng, Zone 14

Expected Turnout10,000+ Youth2,000+ Youth Daily

Target AudienceNEET & GraduatesJobseekers & Founders

1. Register Free Delegate Pass 2. Partner as Employer 3. Enquire for Sponsorship

Proven Power to Deliver

Empowering 8 Provinces • Engineering Scalable, Auditable Outcomes

294,000+

Youth Reached

Mobilised across 9 provinces

2,070+

Direct Job Placements

Verified placements with vetted employers

450+

Township Enterprises Funded

Seed capital, mentorship & ESD integration

6,000+

Accredited Skills Certifications

Sector-aligned qualifications delivered

01 / The Mandate & Regional Reality

Ground Zero For A National Economic Reset.

Why the Vaal? Transforming abandoned potential into a generation of skilled, employed, and entrepreneurial young South Africans.

In the Vaal, where youth unemployment sits above 41% and key townships endure joblessness exceeding 90%, we are in an economic state of emergency. EmpowaYouth exists to flip the script — transforming abandoned potential into real economic agency.

Once a national manufacturing powerhouse, the Vaal's crisis is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity: in every unemployed graduate, unlinked artisan, and self-taught coder lies untapped capital ready to drive sector growth and profitability.

“This is not about speeches, it’s about economic engineering in real time. Every job secured, enterprise funded, and skill certified is a direct step towards rebuilding South Africa’s economic future.”

Simphiwe MasizaFounder & Executive Producer, EmpowaYouth

Young woman triumphant at EmpowaYouth summit with fists raised

Youth Agency • Transforming Ambition

Overcoming economic exclusion: Young South Africans claiming their future with dignity and power.

Four Pillars of Transformation

01 / Youth

Activating potential through real platforms, direct access, and tangible opportunities.

02 / Jobs

Direct placement into verified employment across high-growth industries and sectors.

03 / Enterprises

Backing township businesses with seed capital, mentorship, and ESD market access.

04 / Skills

Equipping delegates with accredited certifications to thrive and lead in tomorrow's economy.

02 / The 5-Day Framework

5 Days. 5 Industries. Infinite Trajectories.

Each day focuses on a distinct economic sector, connecting 2,000+ youth daily with accredited skills, live hiring partners, and venture capital.

Day 01 • Care EconomyMon 3 May 2027•08:00 – 15:00Koinonia Bible Church, Sebokeng

Health, Wellness & The Care Economy

Healing the Economy: Careers in Care, Health & Humanity

Launching scalable careers in preventative care, mental health services, longevity science, wellness tech, and professional caregiving, sectors rapidly expanding across Africa.

Sector Power Statement

“Health is the new wealth, and the Care Economy is a trillion-dollar global sector waiting for Africa’s next generation of healers, innovators, and human-first entrepreneurs.”

Key Outcomes & Activities

1Healthcare Career Fast-Track: Direct pathways into medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, sports science, and occupational therapy.
2Mental Health Enterprise Labs: Turning mental wellness into a scalable business opportunity.
3Wellness Tech Incubator: Exposure to startups disrupting healthcare with apps, wearables, and AI.
4Industry Access: Networking with CEOs, medical specialists, NGO leaders, and private hospital executives.

Care Economy

Target Audience

Life sciences graduates, pre-med students, community health workers, and wellness innovators.

Live Economic Activation:

Direct on-site employment interviews & CV submission
Accredited certificate of participation
Live pitch stages, bursary pools & seed capital access
Direct networking with C-Suite executives & industry mentors

03 / Ground Level Architecture

The Anatomy of The Experience.

Where innovation meets access, and opportunity becomes tangible. Every day is a live economic activation — transactions, contracts, and employment offers delivered on the ground.

Over 10,000 young South Africans inside the massive EmpowaYouth marquee

10,000+ Young Leaders • Live Festival Marquee

Sebokeng arena activated with live recruitment pods, industry innovation zones, and executive dialogues.

Township youth entrepreneur receiving R100,000 Bizniz In A Box cheque on stage

Live Pitch Stages • Real Enterprise Capital

Over R100k in seed funding, tooling, and supply chain contracts awarded live to youth founders on stage.

100+ Power Panels & Sector Dialogues

Engage directly with Ministers, CEOs, trailblazing Founders, and Policy Architects in high-stakes conversations that shape policy, unlock markets, and redefine the youth economy across ten critical sectors.

40+ Experiential Zones

Step into the future through interactive Demo Labs, real-time Skills Accelerators, Employment Hubs, and Startup Showcases, where innovation meets access, and opportunity becomes tangible.

600+ Strategic Partners Activated

Corporates, government, funders, and ecosystem builders deliver live opportunities, from job placements and bursaries to enterprise funding, mentorship, ESD integration, and digital upskilling.

Pitch Stages & Deal Room

High-growth youth enterprises go head-to-head on dedicated Pitch Stages, securing investment, incubation, and visibility from corporate ESD executives and venture funds.

Career Clinics & HR Pods

Career Clinics connect job-seeking youth with top HR leaders, recruiters, and mentors for personalised, actionable pathways to employment, CV reviews, and live hiring matches.

Live Performances & Cultural Immersions

South Africa’s top artists, storytellers, and cultural icons come alive on stage, amplifying youth identity, creativity, and voice, transforming inspiration into activation.

04 / Pre-Summit Power Labs

Deep-Dive Sector Masterclasses.

Five high-impact intensive masterclass tracks delivering accredited certifications, practical enterprise tools, and direct employment pipelines.

POWER LAB 01

Health, Wellness & the Care Economy

Healing the Economy: Careers in Care, Health & Humanity

“Health is the new wealth, and the Care Economy is a trillion-dollar global sector waiting for Africa’s next generation of healers, innovators, and human-first entrepreneurs.”

Healthcare Career Fast-Track: Direct pathways into medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, sports science, and occupational therapy
Mental Health Enterprise Labs: Turning mental wellness into a scalable business opportunity
Wellness Tech Incubator: Exposure to startups disrupting healthcare with apps, wearables, and AI
Industry Access: Networking with CEOs, medical specialists, NGO leaders, and private hospital executives

POWER LAB 02

AI, Tech & the Digital Economy

Code the Future: AI, Innovation & the 4IR Workforce

“The 4th Industrial Revolution will not wait for Africa. We either write the code, or we get coded out of the future.”

Live AI Coding Arenas: Youth coding real-world solutions in fintech, logistics, and health
Fintech Power Sessions: Meeting the banks, digital lenders, and payment disruptors
Next-Gen Careers: Cybersecurity, data science, cloud architecture, blockchain innovation
AI in Business Masterclass: From predictive analytics to automated customer engagement

POWER LAB 03

The Creative Economy & Film

Frame the Future: Youth in Film, Content & Storytelling

“Whoever owns the story owns the culture. Whoever owns the IP owns the wealth. Turning African content into commercial capital.”

Content Monetisation Workshops: How to make your art pay, and keep the rights
Production Labs: Film, sound, animation, editing, hands-on, real-time creation
Creator-to-CEO Roadmap: Building brands that attract global audiences and buyers
Industry Immersion: Networking with streaming giants, production houses, and ad agencies

POWER LAB 04

Green Economy, Sustainability & AgriTech

Regenerate: Green Jobs, Agribusiness & the Circular Economy

“Climate crisis is the challenge, green enterprise is the answer. The future belongs to those who can grow, build, and innovate sustainably.”

Urban Farming Hackathons: Food security meets entrepreneurship
Climate Innovation Labs: Waste-to-energy, green construction, and eco-engineering
Agri-Processing Value Chains: Turning local produce into global products
Circular Economy Blueprint: Monetising sustainability in every industry

POWER LAB 05

Township Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Fund the Future: From Hustle to High-Growth Startups

“Hustle is not enough. To win, you need systems, scale, and serious capital.”

Investor Readiness Bootcamp: Perfect your pitch and land the cheque
Startup Clinics: Legal, branding, and growth hacking for early-stage ventures
VC & Angel Network Access: Meet the funders who can accelerate your idea
Township-to-Global Case Studies: Real stories of entrepreneurs who scaled beyond borders

05 / Leadership & Keynote Voices

Architect of the Movement.

Executive leadership guiding Vaal EmpowaYouth Week alongside distinguished keynote voices who champion South Africa’s youth economy.

Founder & Executive Producer

Simphiwe Masiza

Founder & CEO, Empowaworx • The Speakers Firm

Simphiwe Masiza is the visionary Founder and CEO of Empowaworx and The Speakers Firm — two powerhouse brands at the forefront of South Africa’s integrated marketing, reputation leadership, and impact ecosystem. As the architect of groundbreaking platforms like EmpowaYouth, EmpowaWomen, and EmpowaEntrepreneurs, he is redefining how nations mobilize people, capital, and ideas for lasting transformation.

A sought-after international keynote speaker, author, and trailblazing entrepreneur, Simphiwe is known for turning vision into velocity. Armed with academic excellence from WITS and GIBS, his platforms fuel opportunity, unlock capital, and engineer inclusive economic growth.

Previous Speakers

Media, Culture & Sports

Miss World South Africa 2025

Media, Culture & Sports

Summary

Media, Culture & Sports

Acclaimed South African stand-up comedian and entertainer

06 / Voices of Youth Transformation

From The Ground: Real Youth Shifts.

Meet the township entrepreneurs, artisans, and graduates whose livelihoods and enterprises were transformed by EmpowaYouth platforms.

Sebokeng, Zone 14

Winnie Lamane

Owner, 'The Shack' Meat & Grill

Drieziek Extension 2, Orange Farm

Amanda Ncoza

Founder, Amanda Bakery

Evaton West, Vaal

Kelebogile Koji

Junior Cloud & AI Practitioner

Orange Farm, Extension 4

Bonisiwe Molakeng

Founder, Kasi Flavour

07 / Strategic Partner Proposition

Why South Africa’s Boldest Brands Partner.

The national rise of EmpowaYouth is not coincidence, it’s corporate courage in action. Transform ESG, CSI, and ESD compliance into measurable, auditable economic dividends.

Strategic ESG, CSI & ESD Impact

Directly contribute to high-priority national outcomes in youth employment, township enterprise growth, and skills transformation, all backed by auditable data and compliance documentation.

Build the Workforce of Tomorrow

Secure early access to ambitious, pre-screened, and agile youth talent across priority sectors like AI, health tech, logistics, renewable energy, and creative digital industries.

Unrivalled Brand & Market Reach

Position your organisation in front of 10,000+ live attendees, 2,000+ daily decision-makers, and millions across multi-channel national broadcast and digital coverage.

Purpose-Led Transformation with Legacy Returns

This is not charity. This is not compliance. This is catalytic transformation with your brand as the architect, powering real lives, shifting economic systems, and leaving a legacy built on scale, substance, and national relevance.

Trusted by 600+ Strategic Partners Across South Africa

National Media Spotlight

Covered Across South Africa’s Premier News & Radio Networks

SABC NEWSeNCANEWZROOM AFRIKASA FMRADIO 2000702YFMJOZI FM

Take Your Next Step

Get Involved in Vaal Week.

Whether your mission is to secure personal employment, hire exceptional young talent, or deploy high-impact ESD & CSI funding, register your intention below.

3–7 May 2027•08:00–15:00 daily•Koinonia Bible Church, Sebokeng, Zone 14

Reserve Your Free Youth Delegate Seat

100% Free entry • 3–7 May 2027 (08:00–15:00 daily). Fill out your details below to secure your seat at the Koinonia Bible Church, Sebokeng, Zone 14.

Official Programme Secretariat

Empowaworx Coordination Desk

For institutional delegations, municipal protocols, corporate exhibition logistics, and media accreditations, reach the core management desk directly.

Telephone Lines+27 (0) 11 482 7256 +27 (0) 11 482 7257 Mobile: +27 72 822 1840

Official Inquiriesinfo@empowayouth.co.za info@empowaworx.co.za

Event Venue & Activation Hub

Koinonia Bible Church

Zone 14, Sebokeng, Vaal Region, Gauteng

3–7 May 202708:00–15:00 Daily

National Headquarters

Empowaworx House

364 Pine Avenue, Ferndale, Randburg, 2196

Sebokeng Venue CoordinatorZone 14 Protocol Desk