South Africa

From AI and data crunching to yoga, YES helps young South Africans stretch their career horizons

Shannon Munnick. (Photo: Supplied)

18 Sep 2024

The Youth Employment Service is delighted to announce the inaugural YES Top 35 Under 35 Awards, proudly presented by Daily Maverick.

Ridha Moosa: Data analyst

Ridha Moosa wanted to be a doctor, but found his true calling in technology. Thanks to the skills and experiences gained through the Sand Technologies YES programme, he grew personally and professionally.

Read more: Explore the complete “35 Under 35” hub on Daily Maverick

Over the years he has submitted research papers, owned and operated businesses, served on the board of a company that secured funding, and spoken at the largest artificial intelligence (AI) expo in Africa. In the past three years, he has excelled as a junior data scientist and in managerial roles, honing his skills in database design, pipeline scripting and application development.

As a product manager at a health tech company, Moosa helped to enhance and deploy medical practice software. He managed development life cycles and contributed to building reporting tools and dashboards for monitoring support tickets.

Now a data analyst at IQ Business, Moosa develops data solutions that source, extract and analyse data at scale. He also manages stakeholders, consults globally and helps to develop tech skills among professionals. His work ensures that data solutions are accessible, cost-effective and compliant.

He has actively participated in UX/UI design and research, designed wireframes and presented proposals for financial supplier management for a large private hospital group. He also trains users in navigating and integrating new software.

Outside his primary roles, Moosa is passionate about teaching future tech enthusiasts and creating content. He also runs a consulting company that helps businesses to enter the AI space.

His story shows how YES can equip a person with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in the tech industry. His journey demonstrates the value of continuous learning, adaptability and a commitment to using technology to make a positive impact.

YES Quinzee Letsoalo. (Photo: Supplied)

Quinzee Letsoalo: Team supervisor

Quinzee Letsoalo has a bachelor of laws (LLB) degree from the University of the Free State. But, by his own admission, his career and personal growth took a significant turn when he joined YES through MultiChoice. He believes it gave him valuable work experience and skills development opportunities that have been instrumental in shaping his professional journey.

Through the programme, Letsoalo was exposed to real-world work environments, honed job-specific skills and expanded his professional network. This enhanced his employability and opened doors to diverse career opportunities.

The programme also boosted his confidence and gave him a sense of independence. Through YES, he made significant contributions to community projects. This gave him a keen sense of fulfilment and purpose. Of course, the programme was key in providing him with invaluable lessons in time management, teamwork and adaptability.

After he completed the YES programme, Letsoalo got a position at a waste solutions organisation as a supervisor, where he honed his leadership and management skills while overseeing waste management operations.

Read more: Explore the complete “35 Under 35” hub on Daily Maverick

YES gave him essential workplace skills. These included communication, teamwork, time management and problem-solving. The practical work experience gave him a fresh understanding of workplace dynamics, expectations and professional norms.

Building relationships with mentors, supervisors and peers helped him to expand his professional network. Overall, YES played a pivotal role in preparing Letsoalo for the realities of working life. It gave him a platform to build on his experiences, have confidence in navigating business challenges, and identify opportunities to thrive.

Savanna Sibutha. (Photo: Supplied)

Savanna Sibutha: Project manager

Before joining YES, Savanna Sibutha struggled to make ends meet. Her Digiata sponsored-YES programme, hosted by the nonprofit organisation Stretch Education SA (previously Yoga4Alex), was a significant financial relief. As a tutor during the programme, Sibutha had a passion for helping children, especially those who could not afford extra lessons, to learn English.

Beyond financial improvement, the programme expanded her worldview. Through focus groups, seminars, YES modules and surveys, she discovered numerous opportunities for career and social development.

On completing the YES programme, Sibutha was offered a position at her host organisation. Initially working as a supervisor, she obtained a qualification in project management and became a project manager.

Read more: Explore the complete “35 Under 35” hub on Daily Maverick

She has since qualified as a yoga instructor and recently completed a supervisory management course. She attributes these achievements to the opportunities provided through YES, which facilitated her growth.

At Stretch Education SA, Sibutha oversees various projects, including teaching yoga in high schools, English in primary schools, running afternoon programmes at its centre, IT work, and skills development programmes for YES Youth. The YES Youth leave the programme with recognised qualifications, equipping them for future employment or entrepreneurship.

The YES app played a crucial role in preparing Sibutha for her professional life, teaching her how to dress appropriately, manage time, communicate effectively, and more. She also became computer literate.

In addition to her primary role at Stretch Education SA, Sibutha tutors English, maths, science and wellness in her community, and gives private yoga classes.

Her story highlights the transformative power of the YES programme in providing young professionals with the tools and confidence needed to succeed.

Phathutshedzo Autilia Ramakhanya. (Photo: Supplied)

Phathutshedzo Ramakhanya: Data scientist

Phathutshedzo Ramakhanya’s passion for numbers led her to major in mathematics and statistics at Unisa. Before her tertiary studies, she offered free maths lessons to pupils in her local community.

While taking part in Telesure Investment Holdings’ YES programme, Ramakhanya discovered the field of data science. Today, she is a data scientist at one of South Africa’s largest banks. The programme played an important role in developing her and seeing her grow from a junior to an intermediate position. She now aspires to senior and leadership roles.

At the bank, Ramakhanya has gained valuable insights into customer service in the corporate sector. Her work includes developing models to measure customer assistance response times and preferred communication platforms, and analysing fraud reporting and handling. These models inform critical decisions and help the bank to optimise its service offerings.

She works with customer information, fostering a deep understanding of the importance of customer treatment and service quality. Ramakhanya’s contributions have benefited the bank and enabled her to support her family financially.

YES has equipped her with skills essential for working in agile environments. She has learnt to navigate the ever-changing tech landscape, collaborate effectively in teams and resolve issues. The programme emphasised the importance of growth, encouraging her to embrace new challenges and continuously seek improvement.

She believes the secret to success is never hesitating to ask for help and always maintaining a growth mindset. Ramakhanya shows how it is possible through initiatives like YES to start a career and prepare for the rigours of the corporate world.

Shannon Munnick. (Photo: Supplied)

Shannon Munnick: B-BBEE compliance adviser

Shannon Munnick is a proud coloured woman who was raised by a dedicated single mother.

Her mother ensured she had the best opportunities, including private schooling and a bachelor of laws (LLB) degree. Committed to making her mom proud, Munnick chose the less-conventional path of legal compliance instead of becoming an admitted attorney.

Her first significant work experience came through YES, when she was sponsored by and placed at EconoServices, a B-BBEE consulting firm, from 2019 to 2020.

This laid the foundation for her successful career in B-BBEE compliance.

Today, she is a qualified and experienced senior B-BBEE adviser at BEE123, a software-driven B-BBEE advisory firm. Her journey began as a junior B-BBEE consultant on the YES programme, which moulded her personally and professionally.

Read more: Explore the complete “35 Under 35” hub on Daily Maverick

She gained foundational knowledge and developed essential skills, such as professional and personal confidence, phone etiquette, effective time management, accountability, leadership, ethical behaviour, emotional intelligence, competence, empathy and compassion.

Munnick joined YES in the final year of her law degree. Within six months she went from junior to senior B-BBEE consultant. In her current role, she advises more than 130 companies, some of which are listed on the JSE, on their B-BBEE compliance.

Her job ensures continuous learning and development while exposing her to the profound impact of B-BBEE on individuals and the economy. It also highlights the challenges and abuses in the system, motivating her to address and combat these issues.

A full-circle moment for Munnick was being asked to train the YES team on the B-BBEE codes.

Through YES, she became economically active, allowing her to support her mother after she was retrenched during the Covid-19 pandemic. DM

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