SAYTA at the Forefront: Youth Voices Shaping Global Trade at #UNCTADYouthForum25

The South African Youth Trade Association (SAYTA) proudly joined the global road to #UNCTAD16 through participation in the first lead-up webinar to the #UNCTADYouthForum25.

Youth from across the world gathered to exchange insights on:

• Building Resilient and Sustainable Economies 💡
• Advancing Technology and Innovation 🌐
• Driving Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development 🚀

SAYTA was represented by the President, Mr Luyolo Dwesi who joined a panel of distinguished speakers echoing similar sentiments when it relates to the youth agenda. the President of SAYTA further contributed to the panel discussions by sharing perspectives on how youth-driven trade can unlock inclusive growth and create meaningful impact. His intervention reinforced the Association’s commitment to advancing youth participation in local and global markets.

SAYTA Contributions to the Discussion

1. Youth in Entrepreneurship 🏦

SAYTA emphasized that entrepreneurship is the engine for youth empowerment. Through advocacy, capacity building and the establishment of export incubators, the Association is working to ensure that youth enterprises have the support and networks needed to succeed at scale.

2. Policy and the Procurement Act 📖

During the dialogue, SAYTA highlighted the importance of leveraging policies such as the Procurement Act to create tangible entry points for youth-owned businesses. By unlocking procurement opportunities, government and private sectors can enable more youth-driven participation in supply chains.

To this effect the Association is embarked in an advocacy campaign to ensure that youth voices are not neglected in frameworks and actioning of the 2024 Procurement Act process, for those with interest to be kept updated on the various advocacy campaigns around the program, register on the link below:

SAYTA Procurement Survey

The new Public Procurement Act of 2024 is designed to make government procurement more inclusive, transparent and fair, especially for marginalized sectors like youth-owned businesses and women-led enterprises etc. This short questionnaire helps us understand the real barriers and needs you face so that upcoming support programs, policy dialogues and capacity-building efforts reflect your lived experience. 💡 Your input will directly shape advocacy efforts and youth-focused initiatives in public procurement. It takes less than 5 minutes. Let’s unlock your access to opportunity.

Google Docs

3. Global Trade as a Tool for Change 📊

The President of SAYTA underlined that global trade is not just about market expansion but about transformation. For South Africa and the wider African youth, trade represents an opportunity to reshape economic participation, stimulate innovation and secure decent work.

This aligns with the work the Association is doing to bring youth exporters close to the global market through the various initiatives.

Championing the Green Economy ✅

In line with the discussions on building sustainable futures, SAYTA reiterated its commitment to a green economy agenda. The Association is mobilizing youth to engage in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy models and climate conscious trade practices. This approach not only strengthens environmental resilience but also positions youth enterprises as leaders in the future economy.

Until Next Time. Keep Well!

Your Partner in Global Trade