An exploratory study of the experiences of young people in becoming agents of social change in Cape Town

Includes abstract.This is an exploratory study of the experiences of young people in becoming agents of social change in Cape Town. The study was carried out on a sample of seventeen young agents of social change from seven developing communities in Cape Town. It adopted a qualitative and exploratory research approach, using a semi-structured interview schedule for the face to face interviews with the young changemakers. The sample was purposively selected: the researcher targeted a specific group (young agents of social change) in a specific area (Cape Town region). The findings revealed mainly that being a young agent of social change stimulates personal growth, youth development, and improves future prospects for young people from developing communities. The young agents of social change in this study are mainly active within civil society and, like most South African youth, do not engage much with party politics. It suggests that young people are poorly represented politically which weakens South Africa's young democracy, can lead to social and political instability, and makes nation building more challenging. Civil society plays a key role in stimulating youth to become agents of social change. However, generally civil society does not stimulate youth directly to develop agency in social change, and does not provide youth with opportunities for leadership and ownership over projects