Soweto recently became the epicenter of innovation as TechNov8 unveiled YOMO, South Africa’s first youth-focused Mobile Virtual Network Operator.
The launch was held at the Hector Pieterson Memorial, a site symbolizing resilience and social progress, and brought together young people, community leaders, innovators, and policymakers to celebrate this milestone.
Connecting Youth to Opportunity
YOMO isn’t just another mobile service—it’s a platform designed to give South Africa’s youth access to opportunities that go beyond data.
With nearly half of the country’s young population unemployed, YOMO aims to use connectivity as a pathway to jobs, skills development, and entrepreneurship.
At the heart of this initiative is the yomo-verse, a zero-rated digital hub offering South African youth training programs, gig opportunities, financial literacy resources, wellness tools, and avenues for civic participation.
“YOMO is built on a simple belief: when young people are connected, they are unstoppable,” said Jose Andre, CEO of TechNov8.
“This is about more than data; it’s about unlocking ambition, creativity, and progress for South Africa’s youth.”
Leaders Rally Behind Youth Empowerment
Ike Makae, CEO of YouthLife, emphasized how affordable data fuels innovation, calling it essential infrastructure for entrepreneurship, creativity, and economic development.
“When we look back five, ten, or fifteen years from now, the question will be: What did you do with what we gave you?” he said.
Similarly, NYDA CEO Ndumiso Kubheka highlighted YOMO’s potential to bridge gaps for young South Africans.
“By connecting young people to affordable mobile services, YOMO is not only bridging the digital divide, it is building digital bridges to education, employment, entrepreneurship, and civic participation.
Our vision is one economy and one future,” he stated.
Kubheka added that the NYDA’s 2025–2030 strategic plan focuses on three priorities: integrating youth issues across all economic sectors, strengthening ecosystems that identify, train, and place young talent, and expanding access to entrepreneurship.
“Inclusion is not just a moral obligation; it is an economic strategy,” he concluded.
A Step Toward a Connected Future
YOMO represents a new era for South African youth, turning connectivity into a tool for empowerment, learning, and economic participation.
By making mobile services affordable and purpose-driven, the initiative promises to help young people across the country—urban or rural—access the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.