Talks4Success series to showcase SA's young game changers

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These include entertainer, businessman and author of Leadership2020, DJ Sbu, IT company owner Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, and singer Lira, among others.

South Africa's first rocket fuel rockstar, Siya Xuza, was one of the young game changers who attended the Talks4Success session held at The Alex Theatre in Braamfontein, Johannesburg on 13 May 2014.

"We are delighted to bring the Talk4Success featuring some of the most amazing young minds in South Africa to inspire the youth. As a bank for all, we continue to engage with the youth since the launch of Nedbank 4me - 'My Future, My Bank' offering in 2012. We believe the youth are not only an important market for the bank but also tomorrow's leaders with over 50% of them under the age of 25, making up the total population of South Africa," says Vanessa Singh, marketing executive at Nedbank.

Important milestone

Talks4Success are an important milestone in Nedbank's journey aimed at celebrating young game changers who continue to make things happen amongst their peers and communities. The talks encompass registration-based guidance sessions with an array of inspirational topics which include future and career prospects with experts, mentors and leaders.

"As a young South African growing up in the Eastern Cape with limited resources, culture was important to me as it inspired me, and I believe science is a way to serve my culture and society. It all began in 1994, the dawn of South Africa's new democracy when I spotted the technological marvel of a Cessna plane dropping election pamphlets over my home town, Mthatha.

"This ignited my curiosity for science and a passion for using technology to engineer an African renaissance. At the time I knew that I may not be able to predict what the future holds, but I had conviction that an education in engineering would be the key to achieving my aspirations as a son of Africa," says Xuza.

Inspiring the youth

"Through my exposure, I have come to appreciate that I have a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire young South Africans, by drawing from my journey and world experiences to shape business and society in a positive manner. It is in this spirit that I crossed paths with Nedbank whose 'Make Things Happen' ethos is true to my life journey. When they spoke to me about the Talks4Sucess initiative, this resonated with me and I saw the opportunity as a perfect fit with my intent to make a difference in my country," added Xuza.

Xuza has garnered numerous accolades, including a fellowship at the African Leadership Network and is the youngest member of the Africa 2.0 energy advisory panel. As a recent graduate of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he pioneered micro-fuel cells for mobile and distributed energy that could be used to power remote and rural areas, Xuza has returned to South Africa as an entrepreneur with a passion for developing solutions for the energy industry.