NELSPRUIT – Seven young community leaders from the province have been selected by Sasol as delegates from five of its host countries to participate in this year’s One Young World Summit. Sandile Khumalo, Gerhard Marais, Gido Koegelenberg, Lwazi Mqadi, Thandeka Buthelezi, Lieschen Venter and Nocwaka Sinxadi were among twenty young people selected to attend the summit. In conjunction with Sasol, the One Young World local organising committee attracted a high calibre of young people who are finding solutions to local, regional and global challenges.

The Summit, now in its fourth year, is a platform for young people between the age of 18 and 30 from around the world to debate and formulate solutions to pressing global issues.

“Sasol believes in the strength, courage and talent of young leaders and their ability to implement change in not only their own lives but in the lives of other people. It is important that as a society and industry, we create a platform for the voice of the youth to help us shape the future in a collaborative fashion,” said Nolitha Fakude, Executive Director at Sasol.

She added that together with One Young World, Sasol was delighted to be able to host some of the world’s most extraordinary young minds to attend this year’s summit where they will be able to generate and articulate ideas that can initiate a positive change in their communities and the world in which they.

The summit is facilitated by high profile counsellors like UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, author Fatima Bhutto and model and actress Lily Cole amongst others, who have excelled in their various fields of business, politics, fashion, science and sport. The counsellors will work with the 1300 young leaders gathered from over 180 countries to address solutions to challenges across fields including education, global business, human rights, sustainable development and transparency.

Alongside the plenary sessions, the summit will feature several special events including music from the South African Youth Orchestra and an opening ceremony that will take place on October 2 in Soweto. At the end of the summit, delegates will graduate as OYW ambassadors, joining a global network of young leaders who are creating positive change around the world.