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This initiative aimed to recognise and nurture talent while equipping South Africa's upcoming generations with dynamic and versatile skills, fostering a future-proof environment for the youth.

Co-sponsored by Standard Bank, Mamelodi Sundowns and Heineken, the event was designed to ignite the creative sparks within young content creators, students, and influencers. Attendees had the incredible chance to be part of a masterclass from Meta, LinkedIn and Twitter social media industry experts. They shared invaluable insights on kickstarting and amplifying their creator and influencer careers.

A stellar agenda to help budding creators shine

From secrets on crafting compelling content to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of social media, the Youth Month for Reels agenda unlocked some amazing tips to successful social media practice and allowed participants to put into action what they had learned.

Keynote topics covered on the day gave attendees insights into navigating the social media landscape as a creator, how to build your brand on digital and generate revenue, current innovations and how to stand out in a crowded digital space.

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Speaking about the event and the importance of social media as a career opportunity, Student Village digital lead, Bonolo Ntamu, said: “Social media plays an essential role in everyday life today and it’s our responsibility to empower young people to use social media for the better. We’re excited about content creation as a career in South Africa, so we hosted the Youth Month for Reels campaign to showcase these opportunities and allow young creators to flex their muscles and learn from the best for real.”

A hive of creativity and inspiration

Youth Month for Reels participants enjoyed a vibrant day of food, music, and shared collaboration. Each event sponsor was offered an InstaNation studio to brand, and the attending content creators set their imaginations free, creating exciting reels and social media content using these inspiring spaces.

The best content creator for the day was rewarded with a prestigious six-month paid gig at Student Village. Although the caliber of competition content was outstanding, the winner, Kamogelo Mokone, exceeded judges’ expectations and will have the chance to further develop his skills within Student Village’s digital marketing team.

Lee John Maans, head personal banking clients Gauteng at Standard Bank, expressed optimism about South African talent. “We were thrilled to be involved in this event. The keynote presentations were excellent, and the creativity and work quality demonstrated by the young people that attended really wowed us,” he said.