YES hosted its second annual Top 35 Under 35 YES Alumni celebration in partnership with Daily Maverick on 27 November 2024. The event showcased how young leaders are unlocking their futures and multiplying their impact by transforming their YES experience into meaningful careers and innovative businesses.
As a key partner, the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) hosted the celebration, which featured a morning of masterclasses for the Top 35 and an afternoon certificate ceremony, bringing together the YES clients that sponsored the programmes for these outstanding young leaders.
The event highlighted the significant contributions of YES Alumni, who are making a meaningful impact in their industries and communities. In partnership with Daily Maverick, YES spotlighted 35 young impact-makers whose inspiring stories are published in DM168 on 28 November 2025 and on the digital hub on 1 December 2025, demonstrating the power of opportunity and the potential of South Africa’s youth. This recognition is the culmination of the YES Top 35 Under 35 Competition. Please click here to access the Daily Maverick supplement and read the Top 35 YES Alumni stories.
Key speakers for the day included GIBS Deputy Dean, Prof. Louise Whittaker; YES CEO, Ravi Naidoo; YES COO, Samantha Steyn; Daily Maverick DM168 Editor, Heather Robertson; GIBS Faculty, Prof. Jefferson Ye Chen; GIBS Faculty, Manqoba Zungu; GIBS Faculty, Dr. Tumelo Chaka; and Author and CEO of The Networking Company, Helen Nicholson.
The certificate ceremony honoured the Top 35 with a certificate signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, celebrating their leadership, innovation and contribution to South Africa’s economic and social development.
Special thanks were extended to event partners such as TFG, City Lodge, Airlink, GIBS, BD Comms, Sanlam, SAGE, AWS, and Nomia, whose contributions enhanced the celebration and provided tangible support and fantastic prizes for the young leaders.
The YES Alumni Top 35 Under 35 celebration truly embodied the theme, Futures Unlocked, Impact Multiplied. These 35 young leaders are part of over 200,000 youth who have benefited from the YES programme to date, demonstrating how a single opportunity can unlock futures at scale and multiply impact across communities and the broader South African economy.
Amendment to the Gazette