Community Engagement and Impact
IMPACT IS MORE THAN POLICY AND TIMELINES
My approach to engagement is grounded in the belief that storytelling must live among the people it hopes to serve. Through platforms like Peeple Online and Sakhithemba, I have helped build youth-centered, African-rooted spaces that exist both online and on the ground. Where people are not just seen, but heard.
From a running club across three cities focused on sustainable living and mental well-being, to collaborating with local voices through content and storytelling projects, my work emphasizes showing up not just publishing. These initiatives taught me that true communication is listening first, speaking second.
But community impact is not only horizontal. My presence at industry events, conferences, and policy spaces whether engaging at Africa Energy Week or interviewing concerned citizens outside those same venues reflects my belief that being in the room is not enough. You must bring the community with you, ask better questions, and stay rooted in the people, not the podium.
I chose sustainable communications because I believe storytelling can protect culture, preserve dignity, and reshape the narrative especially in Africa, where knowledge and wisdom live far beyond formal institutions. If our work doesn’t carry the voice of the people, what is it echoing?
PEEPLE RUNNING CLUB
The Peeple Running Club was more than a brand extension, it was the on-the-ground embodiment of our sustainable living advocacy. Through ELS (Every Last Saturday), we committed to showing up in the real world to see, speak, and listen to youth in motion.
What began as a wellness initiative grew into a decentralized platform across Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg, where we meet on the last Saturday of every month to run, reflect, and reconnect.
Through our Strava club and a dedicated runners' WhatsApp group, we created a space for knowledge sharing, tips, accountability, and encouragement. This was advocacy in motion: a quiet but consistent commitment to mental well-being, physical health, and community restoration.
After each run, we met for coffee not just to rest, but to build. This is where real stories surfaced and bonds were built across cities and lives.
SAKHITHEMBA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
JANUARY 2025.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT NEWS
KHAYELITSHA
Sakha Ithemba aims to address the youth unemployment crisis faced in South Africa by designing and developing a model of intervention into a specialised programme that prepares the NEETS for access and (re-)integration into the education, employment, and training system. This specialised programme aims to build competencies and enhance employability through vocational education and work-based learning with the support of community stakeholders, strategic partnerships with NGO’s, business companies and entrepreneurs.
EMPOWERING YOUTH, REBUILDING COMMUNITIES
As part of our ongoing community advocacy at Sakha Ithemba, our team has engaged youth audiences across Cape Town townships, particularly in Philippi, Khayelitsha, and Delft, sharing our NEET-focused development model, career resilience tools, and hope-driven messaging.
Our work culminated in a public speaking slot at the Fresh Fire Youth Conference (June 2025). our first officially publicized event poster. Co-founder, Nomawetu Nobaza delivered a keynote highlighting our grassroots work, mentorship programmes, and real-life testimonies of youth navigating unemployment.
This conference appearance represents our expanding presence as community voices in youth development spaces, even where formal media coverage was not always present.
FIELD ENGAGEMENTS
INDUSTRY PRESENCE
Our approach to storytelling and media work has always centered on listening before speaking, and observing before assuming. Attending industry conferences, summits, and field events is not just about leading conversations, it is about learning from them.
These engagements are opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals, pitch ideas with impact, and explore collaborations rooted in shared values. Whether participating in women-led panels at Africa Energy Week or interviewing citizens outside industry spaces, we show up with curiosity, care, and commitment to community-centered insight.
