WeeklySA_AdminVOICE: Award-winning South African poet and youth advocate Botlhale Boikanyo has been appointed UNFPA’s Regional ICPD Youth Champion, taking on a role that will see her champion the rights, health and participation of millions of young people…
By WSAM Reporter
South African poet, actress and youth activist Botlhale Boikanyo has been appointed as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa Regional ICPD Youth Champion.
This role places one of the country’s most recognisable young voices at the forefront of regional advocacy for youth development and gender equality. The appointment, announced by UNFPA this week, will see Boikanyo work with governments, civil society organisations and development partners across East and Southern Africa to promote the commitments of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.
Her responsibilities will include advocating for greater investment in young people, advancing gender equality, promoting access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, and encouraging meaningful youth participation in policy and decision-making processes.
Boikanyo first captured the nation’s imagination when, at just 11 years old, she became the youngest winner and first poet to win South Africa’s Got Talent. Since then, she has built a career as an award-winning performer, motivational speaker and social advocate, while establishing the Botlhale Boikanyo Foundation, which uses storytelling, education and the arts to empower young people.
UNFPA said her appointment reflects its commitment to placing young people at the centre of sustainable development efforts across the continent.
The agency believes Africa’s youth population represents one of the world’s greatest opportunities for social and economic transformation, but notes that many young people continue to face significant barriers to education, healthcare, employment and meaningful participation in decisions that affect their lives.
Boikanyo said she hopes to use the platform to ensure more young voices influence public policy and development agendas.
“My hope and dream is to live in a world where every young person, especially women and girls, has the freedom and opportunities to shape their own future and is included in the rooms where decisions about their lives are made,” she said.
“Being a UNFPA Champion is another step towards turning that vision into reality. It is an opportunity to amplify the voices of young people through storytelling across our region, and advocate for investments that uphold the rights, dignity, well-being and potential of every young person everywhere.”
UNFPA said the appointment comes at a pivotal time, with Africa home to one of the world’s fastest-growing youth populations. While young people are increasingly driving innovation and community development, many continue to encounter structural inequalities that limit opportunities and access to essential services.
As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Boikanyo will engage directly with young people throughout the region while encouraging policymakers to strengthen programmes that protect young people’s rights and expand opportunities for education, health and leadership.
The ICPD Programme of Action, adopted by 179 governments at the landmark International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994, placed human dignity, gender equality and reproductive rights at the centre of sustainable development. It remains one of the world’s key frameworks for advancing women’s empowerment, reducing inequality and ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to realise their full potential.
Through Boikanyo’s appointment, UNFPA hopes to strengthen youth-led advocacy across East and Southern Africa and inspire a new generation of leaders to help shape a more equitable and inclusive future for the continent.
