YouthX by Nedbank is thrilled to announce the official call for entries for the 2025 YouthX Awards – a powerful platform designed for South Africa’s bold, passionate, and determined youth to shape their futures. Now in its fifth year, the YouthX Awards are not just a competition; they are a movement of empowerment, resilience, and innovation.
This milestone year of YouthX celebrates five years of inspiring young changemakers and entrepreneurs across South Africa. The initiative has become a beacon of hope for those who have felt overlooked or underestimated, inviting them to take charge of their dreams, share their stories, and turn their ideas into impactful ventures.
Running from 1 July to 31 August 2025, the YouthX Awards are open to South Africans aged 18 to 26. Participants stand a chance to win up to R200,000 in funding, gain exclusive access to expert mentorship, and join a community that refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer.
“Through YouthX, and specifically the YouthX Awards, we’re nurturing bold ideas and reshaping futures. We’re building a space where talent, grit, and resilience can flourish by providing platforms that help young entrepreneurs reach their full potential,”.
says John Makgato, Head of Youth Strategy and Client Value Proposition at Nedbank
Entries will be judged based on creativity, innovation, and their potential to uplift communities. The top 10 finalists will receive far more than a prize—they’ll gain the tools, networks, and self-belief needed to grow ventures that create lasting change.
Unlock Your X
This year’s theme, ‘Unlock Your X’, challenges every young person to discover and embrace what makes them unique—whether it’s their creativity, passion, or determination to drive change. The ‘X’ symbolizes the potential within every individual to create a better future for themselves and their communities.
Through the YouthX Awards, Nedbank provides a platform for young people to harness that power, giving them the opportunity to turn their vision into reality.
Past YouthX winners have experienced life-changing opportunities through this platform.
“The YouthX Awards gave me more than just a platform. It gave my business visibility, real momentum, and a renewed sense of purpose. Being recognised validated my vision and gave me the confidence to dream bigger and move faster,”.
shares Brandon Mashaba, 2024 YouthX Award winner and founder of Reagile Gaming Interactions
Celebrating Five Years of Impact
As the YouthX Awards celebrate their fifth anniversary, Nedbank reflects on the initiative’s incredible impact on the youth of South Africa, highlighting countless stories of growth, resilience, and social change.
“This year, as we mark five years of the YouthX Awards, we’re proud to celebrate the countless stories of resilience, innovation, and empowerment that have shaped this initiative. It’s a testament to Nedbank’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the leaders, changemakers, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow,”.
adds Makgato
This is more than an awards programme—it’s a rallying call for young South Africans to rise, hustle harder, and unlock their true potential.
If you’re a qualifying Nedbank account holder, this is your opportunity to step into a future built on passion, resilience, and limitless possibilities.
Enter the 2025 YouthX Awards Today!
Don’t miss your chance to win R200,000, access expert mentorship, and gain the spotlight your ideas deserve.
➡️ Visit https://www.youthxbynedbank.co.za for more details and to enter.
Unlock your X. Your future starts now.
