South Africa’s youth has come a long way since the 1976 Soweto uprising, when they took to the streets to protest against the injustices of the apartheid government.
Today social media platforms are where the young, who are arguably the heart-beat of any nation, converge and voice their concerns.
To commemorate Youth Month, IOL partnered with AYO Technology to feature a diverse group of youth trailblazers in the technology and innovation sector on a video series.
The project aims for the social media stars to give insights, inspiration and share their journeys in the field.
AYO Technology Solutions Limited is one of the largest JSE-listed, B-BBEE accredited ICT companies, with interests in technologies that promote life, business and economics.
In part three of the series, we spoke to influencers Sandhya Ramsern, Jason van Tonder and Refiloe Lepheane on Youth Day, technology and social media.
Ramsern is a Master of Science student in Microbiology (NMU) and content creator based in Gqeberha.
Her content is centred around make-up, skincare, beauty tips, product reviews, food and lifestyle vlogs.
As a microbiologist, her reviews and content are mostly scientifically accurate yet simplistic and easy to understand. Her largest platform is TikTok where Ramsern currently has 125 300 followers, and 2.9 million likes.
Van Tonder is a 22-year-old aspiring actor and TikToker.
He loves the outdoors, especially the ocean. Van Tonder is also a scuba dive instructor.
Commonly known as the Pink Panther, 20-year-old Lepheane’s passion lies in the arts.
She studied Drama for two years. In her free time, she paints, write scripts and play around with monologues. She models as well.