Athepreneurship as a Change Agent tool for Mainstreaming Youth Development in South Africa

Abstract

This article presents a case study of the Catholic Church from multiple case studies on narratives of youth development in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to illustrate mainstreaming youth development through an exemplary case of South Africa beyond thirty years of democracy. The article is also informed by the imperatives of critical theory to understand mainstreaming youth development in South Africa. I examine mainstreaming youth development about sustainable development via athepreneurship (to be described later in the discussion). As mentioned above, South Africa was purposively selected in this context. The argumentation forwarded depicts athepreneurship as one of the ways of mainstreaming youth development in the Church. Data were collected using the qualitative method of documentary analysis. The results of the article indicate the need to pursue the skills development capacities of young people so that they can contribute to the development of their livelihood. The study concludes by highlighting that the participation of youth in South Africa in sustainable development activities could serve as an anchor for mainstreaming youth development in Southern Africa beyond 30 years of democracy.