South Africa: From participant to community leader - Building a movement for youth empowerment

What starts as a support group can become a movement for change when young women are given the opportunity to lead. The story of Nokwanda Ngcobo and Blazing P Foundation NPC demonstrates how mentorship, leadership development and sustained support can transform individual potential into a community-driven force for youth empowerment.

Blazing P Foundation traces its roots to a peer support circle established through the Sasops Women in Trades Support (SWITS) Programme. Created by Sasopsbiz Foundation, these circles provided young women with safe spaces to build confidence, support one another and explore opportunities for personal and economic growth. The programme combined emotional support with practical interventions, including vocational skills training, entrepreneurship development, workplace exposure and leadership mentoring.

Like many young women in South Africa, Nokwanda faced barriers to employment, leadership opportunities and skills development. Although she was passionate about community development, there were few structured pathways that enabled young people to gain the confidence, experience and organisational skills necessary to become leaders or establish sustainable initiatives.

From the beginning, Nokwanda approached the opportunity with enthusiasm and determination. As a member of the Blaze Peer Support Circle, she quickly emerged as a committed participant who inspired and encouraged others. Through programmes such as the Blaze Peer Programme, ImpactLead Programme, Works4Me Volunteer Experience Programme and the SWITS Future Skills Programme, she continued to strengthen her leadership, organisational and entrepreneurial abilities.

Rather than seeing the peer support circle as a personal development opportunity alone, Nokwanda recognised its potential to create wider community impact. With ongoing mentorship from Sasopsbiz Foundation, she helped guide the group beyond its original purpose. Together, the members strengthened their leadership structures, formalised governance systems and successfully registered as Blazing P Foundation NPC.

The transition marked a significant shift. What began as a small support group evolved into an independent, youth-led organisation committed to creating opportunities for other young people. Today, Blazing P Foundation is no longer simply a beneficiary of development programmes. It has become an active community organisation delivering its own initiatives and partnering with others to expand opportunities for youth.

Under Nokwanda's leadership, the organisation has developed and implemented programmes focused on leadership development, vocational skills, entrepreneurship and community engagement. It has successfully hosted a Men's Conference at Azalea Hall, creating a platform for discussions on leadership, accountability and positive citizenship. It also organised a Women's Conference, bringing women together to discuss empowerment, leadership and personal growth.

The organisation's impact has continued to grow through its partnership with Sasopsbiz Foundation. Blazing P recently co-facilitated the SWITS Future Skills Programme at Ikusaselihle High School, delivering career guidance and detergent manufacturing training to learners. This collaboration enabled young people to gain practical skills while exploring pathways to future employment and entrepreneurship.

To support the organisation's sustainability, Sasopsbiz Foundation provided production chemicals and access to workspace, enabling Blazing P Foundation to begin manufacturing its first detergent products. This initiative represents an important step towards establishing a social enterprise capable of generating income to sustain community programmes and reduce reliance on external funding.

The success of the organisation is reflected in the tangible progress it has made. Blazing P Foundation has successfully transitioned from an informal peer network into a registered Non-Profit Company with governance structures, leadership systems and independently managed programmes. The organisation has demonstrated its ability to mobilise communities, coordinate stakeholders and implement meaningful initiatives that respond to local needs.

Nokwanda's leadership has also gained recognition beyond the organisation. Through her own initiative and commitment to growth, she represented KwaZulu-Natal at the G20 Youth Engagement, demonstrating both her confidence and ability to contribute to national youth leadership conversations.

According to Pumla Vilakazi:

“Nokwanda's journey is one of the clearest examples of the impact we hope to achieve through the SWITS Programme. She joined us as a member of a peer support circle, but through her own commitment, resilience and leadership she transformed that group into Blazing P Foundation, an independent organisation that is now implementing its own programmes and partnering with us to create opportunities for other young people.”

Reflecting on her journey, Nokwanda says:

“Joining the Blazing P Peer Support Circle changed the direction of my life. It gave me the confidence to believe that I could become more than a participant. I could become a leader. Through the mentorship and opportunities I received, I realised that I could create opportunities for other young people.”

The organisation's impact has also been recognised by community stakeholders. Mr D.T Mosiea from Protection Services shared:

“I was genuinely impressed by the calibre of young leaders driving this initiative. It is inspiring to see young people creating safe spaces where men can engage in meaningful conversations about leadership and responsibility.”

Looking ahead, Blazing P Foundation is focused on expanding its leadership development, career guidance and entrepreneurship programmes to reach more schools and communities. 

The organisation plans to continue building its detergent-manufacturing social enterprise while strengthening partnerships that support youth development.

Nokwanda also hopes to mentor other young women, encouraging them to establish their own initiatives and become leaders within their communities. This commitment to developing future leaders reflects the wider vision that has guided Blazing P Foundation's growth from the beginning.

The story of Nokwanda Ngcobo shows what is possible when young women are provided with the tools, support and opportunities to lead. By investing in one participant, a ripple effect has been created that now reaches countless other young people. What started as a peer support circle has become a thriving youth-led organisation, demonstrating that sustainable change begins when individuals are empowered to become leaders in their own communities.