The Youth Voice is a small commercial newspaper founded in 2010 by Lerato la
batho, a 100% black owned company. The project targets youth and schools of the
Ehlanzeni District Municipality which, per the previous cen- sus, has some 41.9% of
the province’s population (Mpumalanga). The paper positions itself as a multi-racial
youth publication in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality.
The Youth Voice’s aim is to make the youth and unemployed aware of job
opportunities and to encourage them to take positive steps in life and make informed
career choices. Besides targeting youth, The Youth Voice also carries local
community stories, insight about the economy, politics, government programmes,
notices, and SMME and business opportunities. A commercial page is in place to
allow these SMMEs to advertise their products and success stories are included as
content to encourage more players. Domestic stories dealing with child care,
cooking, meetings, educational tips and local sports are covered in the publication.
The Youth Voice publishes in 60% English, 15% SiSwati, 10% Xitsonga, 10%
Sepulane and 5% Afrikaans.