Youth
Talk
An NGO reaching young South Africans with accessible, quality information, to inspire active citizenship and combat misinformation.
Before they vote, ensure they're informed.
We meet young South Africans on the platforms they already live on with accurate, accessible news and current affairs summaries in quick multimedia formats, tailored for their consumption.
Before they vote, ensure they're informed.
We meet young South Africans on the platforms they already live on with accurate, accessible news and current affairs summaries in quick multimedia formats, tailored for their consumption.
Our
immediate mission
To empower South Africa’s youth with accessible, compelling news and infotainment that catalyzes informed civic engagement and combats misinformation, creating active, educated voters.
What we do
Founded by former Mail & Guardian editor Verashni Pillay, our news team produces factual and fun current affairs content tailored to a broader, younger audience across popular platforms.
Our non-profit arm, showcased on this site, houses the grants we receive to help fund our youth-focused journalism work at /explain/, inspiring activity citizenry and combatting misinformation.
Our communications agency was created to ensure our newsroom’s financial sustainabiility. It works with mission-driven brands to tell compelling stories. The profits help fund our journalism.
Our work so far
Our pilot ran under the explain.co.za brand, creating real impact and wins running on next to nothing. Imagine what more we could do with your support.
Engaged subscribers across platforms (Not counting wider audiences).
Succinct, conversational and often funny news summaries sent out via WhatsApp.
Major regional accolades: the best media literacy project in Africa in 2021 and shortlisted as the best newsletter in Africa in 2022, both by the World Association of Newspapers.
The Board
Verashni Pillay
Verashni is an awardwinning journalist and editor. She was previously editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian and HuffPost SA. Verashni is a recipient of a CNN African Journalism Award, the Mandela Washington Fellowship and was named one of BBC’s 100 women globally.
Ivan Jarosz
Ivan is an entrepreneur and future thinker who has founded and sold several businesses. He specialises in start-up know-how and the art of bootstrapping a viable company. Ivan has particular expertise in supply chain management and believes businesses should and can be the catalysts for change.
Okyerebea Mwaba
Okyerebea is the MTN Group’s GM for legal, and was previously a partner at law firm Webber Wentzel, where she worked on high-profile media freedom cases. Her areas of expertise include data protection, media law, digital rights, emerging technologies and human rights law.
South
Africa's
declining
voter turnout
Turnout as a proportion of South Africa’s voting age population (VAP) is lower than the global average – and worse amongst the youth.
South africa's declining voter turnout
Turnout as a proportion of South Africa’s voting age population (VAP) is lower than the global average – and worse amongst the youth.
Partner with us
SA’s 2024 national election will be a crucial moment for South Africa’s youth. Low registration and previous low turnout means we must work harder than ever to reach them. Help us meet the rest to turbocharge our journalism ahead of the elections – and into the future. You can donate or use our agency services to help fund this crucial work.
Ways to partner with us
Communications
Corporates and other organisations looking to reach South Africa’s youth at scale can contact our agency arm, where the client’s needs and aims come first. This is managed separately from the newsroom to preserve the independence of the journalism but still informed with the same rigour and innovation. The company is level 1 BEE rated, and profits go to our NGO, Youth Talk.
Non-profit
Philanthropic organisations wishing to support the cause of informing and empowering South Africa’s youth can donate to Youth Talk, our separately managed non-profit organisation. Donations are tax-exempt and will be used directly to support our journalism efforts. Formal accounting, and comprehensive Monitoring, evaluation, and learning reports will be issued.
News
Our newsroom will operate entirely independently of any clients and funders, putting out news that is accurate and impartial. This will build greater trust among our key audiences and protect the credibility of our journalism. You can advertise with us, subscribe on explain.co.za once we relaunch and follow us across all social media platforms – plus share our work.
We have raised 15% of our minimum fundraising goal!
Help us meet the rest to turbocharge our journalism ahead of the elections – and into the future.