By Moses Magadza

The Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Ms Boemo Sekgoma, has been honoured with the Excellence, Youth Empowerment & Mentorship Champion Award.

The award is in recognition of her contribution to nurturing, empowering and mentoring young people across Southern Africa.

The Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF) conferred the award during the Official Opening of the 8th Southern Africa Youth Forum, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 21 to 24 July 2026.

The recognition was made under the Southern Africa Youth Awards, SAYoF’s flagship awards initiative, which honours individuals who have dedicated their leadership, time and resources to advancing youth empowerment across Africa and the SADC region.

In its letter announcing the award, SAYoF said the recognition celebrated Ms Sekgoma’s “commitment, efforts, and impact towards advancing the lives, opportunities, and potential of young people.”

SAYoF Chief Executive Officer Mr Misheck Gondo said the Excellence, Youth Empowerment and Mentorship Champion Award recognised Ms Sekgoma for “her unwavering commitment to youth development and her sustained advocacy for the inclusion of young people in policy and decision-making processes across Southern Africa and the wider continent.”

He said Ms Sekgoma had distinguished herself by creating and strengthening opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully in parliamentary business and regional policy spaces. Her mentorship and coaching had equipped young people to influence decisions, contribute to policy processes and benefit from structured guidance capable of expanding their long-term opportunities.

In her capacity as Patron of the Southern Africa Youth Parliament and SAYoF, Ms Sekgoma had helped create practical pathways through which young people could lead, learn and shape regional decisions, the CEO said.

Through her guidance, young people had gained opportunities to contribute to the SADC PF Plenary Assembly, engage with the Forum’s Standing Committees and participate in projects and regional platforms offering practical support and resources.

Mr Gondo described Ms Sekgoma as a recognised champion of young people and youth-related issues in the region, noting that her work had helped ensure that youth voices were translated into meaningful participation and sustained empowerment within SADC processes.

The award was presented during the inaugural Southern Africa Youth Awards, at which seven other distinguished leaders and advocates were honoured in various categories.

They included H.E. Nardos Bekele-Thomas of AUDA-NEPAD, Mr Briggs Bomba of Trust Africa, Ms Bitania Lulu Berhanu of Youth-Act, Mr Terrence Maphosa of KwaTerry, Ms Prudence Ngwenya of the African Union Commission, Ms Sally Ncube of Equality Now and Mr Huzfa Elhassan of the Afro-Arab Youth Council. SAYoF intends to host the awards annually as part of the Southern Africa Youth Forum.

The award adds impetus to growing collaboration between the SADC PF and young people in the region, particularly around strengthening youth participation in democratic governance, parliamentary processes and regional integration.

Under Ms Sekgoma’s leadership, the Forum has consistently promoted greater engagement between Parliaments and young people, recognising youth as stakeholders whose voices, aspirations and lived experiences should inform legislation, oversight and development priorities.

The recognition is also significant in the context of Southern Africa’s predominantly youthful population and continuing efforts to translate regional and continental commitments on youth participation into practical opportunities for meaningful engagement in governance and decision-making.

Ms Sekgoma was additionally invited to address the Official Opening Ceremony of the 8th Southern Africa Youth Forum, whose deliberations provided a platform for young people and other stakeholders to engage on issues affecting the region and contribute towards the continent’s development aspirations.

The award highlights the strategic importance of mentorship in building the next generation of Southern African leaders and reinforces the SADC PF’s commitment to creating avenues through which young people can participate meaningfully in parliamentary democracy and regional development.

For the SADC PF, the honour affirms the Forum’s broader efforts to strengthen intergenerational dialogue and position young people as partners in shaping a democratic, inclusive and prosperous Southern Africa.

-Moses Magadza is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.