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Youth-led Change Across Africa

gold-youth is a 21-year-old award-winning non-profit entity. We’ve used an evidence-based youth peer education model to see concrete results in social behaviour change, education and job creation.

Outcomes Research

  • gold-youth measures its outcomes and impact through a rigorous monitoring and evaluation system within which a log frame approach (LFA) matrix stipulates performance indicators and corresponding standards for programme delivery.
    Key outcomes are assessed through:

    • annual quantitative research (e.g. pre- and post-surveys and academic performance assessments)
    • annual qualitative research (e.g. surveys, focus groups and interviews with school principals, educators, community leaders, parents, Facilitator Interns, Peer Educators and Peers).
    • external evaluations by independent organizations and/or funders.
    Strategic Youth Impact Indicators:
    Average over 8 years: 2018-2025
    • 27% increase in school performance and commitment to education
    • 40% increase in positive character attributes and purpose-driven interiority
    • 35% improvement in reduction of age-related youth risk behaviour
    • 46% increase in work readiness and employability
    • 75% increase in awareness of opportunities in the food system/agriculture
    • 45% increase in leadership and community upliftment

    Please contact us for more detail on our impact studies research.

Our Footprint

The gold Model is scalable and is being rolled out in selected schools and communities in 6 African countries, while looking ahead to expansion into further countries from 2030.

Note: From the beginning of 2021, we began including recording numbers from our ‘wide’ strategy: Peer Educators and Peers from our Wide Community-based Organization partners and Peer Educators from selected Systemic Government Wide Partners. (Previously we had only recorded numbers from our ‘deep’ Social Franchising strategy.)

Track Record To Date

45 003

Peer Leaders

There are 45 003 gold Peer Educators, trained and mentored, out in the world

3 239

Jobs

gold-youth has proudly facilitated a total of 3 239 job placements since 2015

2 825

Internships

gold-youth has created 2 825 Facilitator Internships since starting the programme

123 826

Peers Reached

A total of 123 826 Peers and children measurably reached by gold Peer Educators

Participants reached in 2025

324

Youth Facilitator Interns active in the programme in 2025

10 003

Adolescent gold Peer Educators equipped and mentored

14 919

Peers and younger children reached and influenced.

808

Work opportunities facilitated for previously unemployed youth

Success Stories

  • Teacher Testimonial
  • Parent Testimonial
  • Peer Educator Testimonial
  • Facilitator Testimonial

Please contact gold-youth for numerous case studies in social behaviour change, education and job creation.

Awards

2025

  • South Africa Future Trust Awards: gold-youth as a Finalist at the 2025 South Africa Future Trust Awards

2006

  • 1st Prize: Commonwealth Good Practice Education awards for a best practice model in supporting education in difficult circumstances

2011

  • Best Health Project by the Mpumalanga Provincial AIDS Council

2013

  • Impumelelo Social Innovation Award for Education

  • EMASA Education Best Practice Award

2014

  • gold CEO selected as an Ashoka Fellow (Social Entrepreneurship and change making leadership)

2016

  • Regional Business Women Achiever Awards: gold CEO was the winner in the social entrepreneur category.

2017:

  • Global Citizen Award: gold CEO nominated as one of four finalists in recognition of her innovation, action and impact in the alleviation of poverty.

2018

  • Selected to be part of: Triga Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship: an accelerator network offering supporting to build high-impact, redemptive ventures that will positively impact the lives of an inclusive, broader community in Africa.

  • Selected to be part of: Ashoka Globalizer Programme: supporting best practice models, through a systems change approach, to facilitate global scale.

  • Impumelelo Social Innovation Awards: Award Winner for gold’s work towards systemic collaboration with Government

2019

  • African Union Innovating Education in Africa Innovator’s Award

  • MTN Awards for Social Change: Rewarding good M&E – Medium Category Winner

2020:

  • HundrED 2020 Global Collection: gold-youth selected as one of the world’s leading education innovations.

2021:

  • HundrED 2021 Global Collection: gold-youth selected as one of the world’s leading education innovations.

2023:

  • Catalyst 2030 membership: gold-youth was invited to join Catalyst 2030 as a social innovator, who shares a deep sense of urgency to solve this century’s growing human and environmental crisis.

2024

  • gold-youth participated in a panel at YPO Global Impact Summit in Kigali with an Africa Youth Focus. 

    Participant in the Societal Thinking Ecosystem Meet up in Bangalore India- part of the Centre for Exponential Growth’s scaler ecosystem.

Annual Reports

Please select to download the year of the report you’d like to view below. Previous years’ annual reports can be emailed on request.
Annual Report 2017 Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2019 Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2021 Annual Report 2022 Annual Report 2023 Annual Report 2024 Annual Report 2025