Role models are good for igniting the inspiration for the young people. South Africa has seen two different types of role models so far. These role models have each played their part with some success here and there and some notable challenges as well. Take a look at the following role models:
1. THE ACADEMIC: Many of us were shaped by this kind of role model. If you are as antique as I am, you will remember some of those days when you felt like you did not want to go to school and you were reminded by the statememts like "Education is the key to success." The meaning of this statement is still debatable today. The era for this role model was well positioned considering the political situation in South Africa. At that time, the only way out of poverty was education. Everybody who aspired to have a better life had to be an academic. That is why at some point there was an over supply of professionals in teaching, nursing, and some of these careers like police and the army.
Dont get me wrong, this role model remains relevant and necessary even today. The country cannot do without professionals such as teachers and nurses. But the country can do without many of these professionals who went into the professions just for economic reasons without the love for people and their development.
2. THE UNEDUCATED AND GIFTED:
The a new era dawned after the fall of the apartheid government and young people came out and started changing the nerrative which saw many young people abandoning school in favour of using their gifts. Many went into the music industry giving birth to the emergence of kwaito music. Albums were sold and maney started flowing in and lifestyles changed and binge drinking became the nature of this lifestyle. This went on with other talents and gifts such as that of soccer players. Fame blinded these young talents who had not studied further than their high school years. Many got into trouble when their careers were no longer blossoming. They lost it all and remained the shadows of their old selves.
As a result, it is the reason why the country needs this third role model.
3. THE EDUCATED AND GIFTED ENTREPRENEUR:
There are so many young people who are gufted and they should be guided and nutured to use their gifts. The country has not been doing so well when it comes to job creation, and to get these talented young individuals to become academics can only replicate the same scenario that we had some decades ago. The educated gifted entrepreneur is the solution for the country if we are to create more jobs in this country. This can happen against the gifts that they have. The Chinese have got it right, the Americans have got it right and many other countries have got it right as well. As a country we tried with this second rolemodel but we only failed because education did not accompany the these gifted individuals.
Imagine the country where talents and gifts are identified at an early age so that these young people can go to school only to study in line with their gifts. The rate of university dropouts will decrease while the number of job creators will increase. This role model will help to get rid of the dependency on seeking jobs which the government has continuously failed to provide. We can get to a point where young people become creative with their gifts and create opportubities of building sustainable businesses because it will not only be the gift they possess, but the business acumen too.
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