Marcia Monareng, a youth entrepreneur and community development activist from Leachville, has made it into the top four in the service category of the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards, hosted by Standard Bank.
From 2,513 nominees, Millennial Mindset Media was narrowed down to 64 and is now in the top four in the service category.
Millennial Mindset won two awards at the (SASMA) South African Social Media Awards in November 2022: Most Recognized Business on Social Media and Best Campaign.
In 2023, Millennial Mindset Media established the Millennial Mindset Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers a variety of courses and training programs designed to equip individuals with the skills they need to flourish in the digital economy.
The courses are designed to meet the requirements of students at all levels, from fundamental digital literacy to animation and basic computer skills.
Over one-quarter of South Africans are unemployed.
Simangele Sabe, the councilwoman for Leachville’s Ward 31, congratulated Marcia and stated that she is pleased to see Leachville’s youth creating a reputation for themselves in the business world.
“The digital economy provides enormous learning and development opportunities for young people. This remains primarily underutilized because our communities lack access to digital resources and the internet, according to Sabe.
“It is thrilling to see that young people like Marcia are succeeding in this arena and are able to impart valuable knowledge and skills back into our communities, which will assist young people in becoming self-sufficient and advancing in the digital workforce.
Approximately 40% of South Africans reside below the poverty line. “South Africa continues to be one of the world’s most unequal societies, and we are not achieving the levels of economic growth necessary to change this,” she said.
Too many South Africans are excluded from the economy and unable to contribute to growth-driving activities, which is the root cause of all other growth constraints in our country.
“Therefore, achieving inclusivity is the primary prescription for job-creating growth. To ensure that more South Africans can participate in the economy and experience the personal empowerment that participation confers, the government must foster an environment conducive to job-creating development.
“Like Marcia, the government must eliminate obstacles to growth and provide opportunities for youth to effectively participate in the economy,”
