Imagine buying a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, and a bag of maize meal. You get to the till, see the total on the screen, and feel that familiar, sharp tightening in your chest. You pay, walk out, and hand your last R50 note to a taxi driver just to get home.

For millions of young South Africans, this isn't a hypothetical scenario—it is the weekly math of survival.

When youth unemployment sits heavily at 60.9%, staying afloat becomes a grueling, full-time job. When a day is consumed by hunting for the next meal, printing CVs for interviews, or stretching a data bundle to find work, high-level conversations about politics and policy can feel like irrelevant background noise.

That deep, exhausting frustration has led to a staggering reality: more than 70% of eligible young South Africans are not registered to vote. It is entirely understandable. When you feel actively ignored by the system, walking away can feel like the only dignified protest left.

But here is the catch: the country doesn’t pause because we choose to step out of the room. Policies are still drafted. Budgets are still allocated. Decisions are still made. And every single one of those choices ripples downward—dictating the price of food in the basket, the interest rates that impact household savings, and the economic environment that either builds industries or starves them.

Whether you choose to participate or not, you will live with the consequences of the outcome. When an entire generation stays home, the future isn't put on hold—it is simply decided by someone else. A single vote may feel like an insignificant drop in a broken ocean, but meaningful change has always been a long game. Real progress is built through consistent participation, not quiet disengagement.

This Youth Month, let’s encourage the next generation not to hand over the keys to their next decade. Register. Show up. Participate. Silence has a price tag, and the future is far too valuable to leave in someone else’s hands.