Kwa-Thema – A 20-year-old woman originally from White City has been selected as a co-author of a chapter for the 2026 South African Child Gauge, an annual publication by the Children’s Institute at UCT.

Thandolwenkosi Nkosi is a child rights activist whose leadership journey began in 2021. She is working as a communications and networks officer at Hold My Hand, a national campaign that supports the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC).

Speaking to the African Reporter about her recent achievement, she said having the opportunity to collaborate with a distinguished group of researchers and activists from across the country still feels surreal.

“I don’t think I can believe it even now, but the major thing was that every little work I have done, lives I have changed, was now paying off. And this is only the beginning.

“To me, this achievement means hope and that it only takes hard work and dedication to achieve great results. To my community, it means generational growth and sustainability,” she said.

The University of Cape Town Children’s Institute selected her following consultations with her former executive managers, taking into account her leadership experience.

“It was a great experience and quite educational. I got to listen to their experiences. You get to see that your ideas and vision for the youth aren’t too ‘crazy’.

“It’s a huge challenge for me because it’s my first time being a co-author, but I truly enjoy it,” Thandolwenkosi said.

She talked about her interest in adolescent identity.

“My interest was greatly inspired by the daily lives I see of young people in my community. Many factors can affect who you become, especially when you are a young person living in South Africa.

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“When young people’s dreams die, it causes a significant shift in identity. I have always been passionate about children’s rights, so I thought it was important to link adolescent identity and its impact to emerging issues in our country,” she said.

Thandolwenkosi believes that conversations around identity are important in finding solutions to key issues affecting young people.

“It’s important to maintain a conversation about this because it ensures that the next generation won’t have to experience the same problems we are experiencing now.

“These conversations break the barriers that adolescents face and that tend to affect who they are as adults,” she shared.

Thandolwenkosi has always been dedicated to making a change in her community. At just 16, she won a trolley library during the Road to Literacy Library Trolley Campaign.

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The competition was sponsored by Avbob and Oxford University Press. Thandolwenkosi had to nominate a primary school or pre-school by writing a motivational letter on why the nominated school deserves to receive the trolley library. She chose Ntokozweni Primary School in Kwa-Thema.

She discussed some of the challenges young people face when seeking their purpose.

“As young people, we tend to let other people’s lives shadow our journey. Economic instability also plays a role in finding your identity and purpose.

“Another factor is educational disparities, which are often affected by economic instability. Quality education is a hard thing to find in SA, so not all young people get to pursue their educational goals,” she said.

She adds that her leadership journey has been inspired by the strong women who raised her. She shared some advice for young people and her future plans.

“I hope that one day I can look back and see how far I have come and grown. For the youth, I hope we don’t drop the ball.

“Yes, it’s hard, sometimes discouraging, but things do get better, and they will be better,” she concluded.