1 9 9 6 , ▁defines ▁youth ▁as ▁those ▁from ▁ages ▁ 1 4 - 3 5 ▁years . ▁Like ▁many ▁other ▁developing ▁countries , ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁population ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁is ▁quite ▁young . ▁The ▁elev ated ▁level ▁of ▁youth ▁population ▁is ▁expected ▁to ▁exist ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 2 0 – 3 0 ▁years ; ▁the ▁large ▁proportion ▁of ▁working - age ▁population ▁presents ▁South ▁Africa ▁with ▁a ▁time ▁period ▁of ▁opportunity ▁for ▁human ▁capital ▁and ▁economic ▁development . ▁ ▁Although ▁South ▁Africa ▁transition ed ▁from ▁apart heid ▁to ▁a ▁multi ra cial ▁dem ocracy ▁in ▁the ▁early - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁policies ▁from ▁the ▁apart heid ▁era ▁have ▁left ▁a ▁continued ▁legacy ▁of ▁significant ▁in equal ities . ▁The ▁bur den ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁in equal ities ▁falls ▁on ▁South ▁African ▁youth ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁education , ▁employ ment , ▁pover ty , ▁and ▁health ▁out comes . ▁ ▁Pre vious ▁government ▁policies ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁have ▁been ▁unf av ou rable ▁for ▁twenty - first ▁century ▁youth , ▁dimin ishing ▁their ▁ability ▁to ▁eng age ▁meaning fully ▁in ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁and ▁political ▁activities ▁of ▁society . ▁During ▁apart heid , ▁many ▁youth s ▁were ▁arrested ▁and ▁det ained ▁in ▁j ail , ▁often ▁without ▁trial ; ▁many ▁children ▁were ▁held ▁in ▁adult ▁pr isons . ▁Youth ▁policy ▁is ▁gu ided ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Youth ▁Policy ▁( 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 4 ), ▁which ▁was