CAPE TOWN YOUTH MAKING A GLOBAL IMPACT WITH ONE YOUNG WORLD 2026
What happens when young people who are changing their communities get the opportunity to share their ideas with the world?
This November, Cape Town will become the meeting point for those conversations as more than 2 200 young leaders from over 190 countries gather for the One Young World Summit 2026.
From tackling inequality and building safer communities to advancing technology and creating opportunities, the Summit connects people who are turning local challenges into practical solutions.
And among the voices taking to the global stage are young South Africans whose work begins right here at home.
One of them is Rancenzo de Jager, a Youth Peacemaker working with the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) in Cape Town. His work forms part of efforts to equip young people with the skills to address conflict and build more peaceful communities.
On 4 November, he will join Academy Award-winning actor and WPDI founder Forest Whitaker for Peace Is a Skill, a conversation exploring what community-led peacebuilding looks like on the ground, including in the Cape Flats.
It is a reminder that leadership does not only happen in boardrooms or through high-profile campaigns. It can begin in a neighbourhood with someone willing to help others find a different way forward. The Summit creates space for experiences like these to be heard, shared and connected to a global conversation.
More than a seat in the room
That opportunity is central to what makes One Young World distinctive. The annual gathering brings emerging leaders together with experienced voices from business, public life and civil society to exchange ideas, learn from one another and explore solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.
For first-time attendees, it is an opportunity to discover new perspectives, make connections and learn how others are creating change. For returning delegates, it offers the chance to build on existing relationships, develop collaborations and take their work further.
And the impact does not end when the Summit closes. Delegates become One Young World Ambassadors, joining a global community that provides ongoing opportunities for collaboration, visibility and support.
A meaningful return to Cape Town
Taking place from 3 to 6 November, the Summit returns to Africa for the first time since Johannesburg hosted it in 2013. Its arrival also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Youth Uprising, connecting South Africa’s history of youth-led change with a new generation determined to shape the future.
For Cape Town, hosting this international gathering is an opportunity to showcase the ideas, talent and community initiatives emerging locally while welcoming perspectives from around the world.
Ultimately, One Young World is about more than bringing young leaders together. It is about giving their ideas room to grow, their experiences a wider audience and their work the potential to reach further.
This November the world comes to Cape Town. The question is what we can build when young leaders come together.
Explore the programme and speakers at oneyoungworld.com/summit.
