Giving Compass' Take:

• Nelson Mandela's legacy lives on in the youth of South Africa as young people are starting to believe they can fight the inequalities that plague the country and provide hope for the future of the next generation.

• Why is it important (and effective) to use Nelson Mandela as a symbol of activism to inspire young people in South Africa? 

• Read about six South African youth activists you should know.

Just last month, the world celebrated what would have been Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday. And in the spirit of the celebration, one had to simply ask themselves what they are doing to continue his legacy and what he stood for.

Mandela’s legacy symbolises a beam of hope for a completely new South Africa; a country that exemplifies equality for all people, education for all children, and promotes peace, justice, and freedom for all.

With an extremely high unemployment rate, shocking femicide and rape statistics, as well as inequality amongst races, most of the younger generation feel they are not reaping the rewards of the new democracy and have to continue the good fight for a better South Africa.

The new generation is determined to continue fighting the fight their grandparents began.Young people continue to do plenty in the fight against racism and gender inequality.

One of the best things about that is that young people join together on different platforms to expose issues they face on a daily basis, and have open and honest discussions about them.

Young people are no longer operating from a place a fear. They have created a different and interesting kind of activism; one in which you are forced to listen and understand all views, and one that really peels back the layers of a broken society, so you can see how you can move forward as a unit.

Read the full article about young people in South Africa by Hlumelo Siphe Williams at Global Citizen