Did anyone see that pre-election TikTok video of Juju with the kittens? What about the one with Mmusi singing in the shower? No? Me neither. When it comes to social media, I think it is safe to say our politicians and the political parties missed a major opportunity for reaching and engaging with SA's youth.

At 33 years old, I just about make the cut-off for youth. And I can say, for certain, that I have hope for South Africa - and that many of my friends and peers share this hope. At the same time, I also realise that there are probably millions of youngsters who don't share this belief - most of them perhaps making up the 45% of youth unable to get a job right now.

"Young SA people don't think that any change will come from voting, and many view it as a completely pointless action with no result," says 26-year-old activist and documentary filmmaker Jordan Pieters (26). She is the founder of the Cape Youth Collective, which gives a platform to young people to make their voices heard.

They seem to say the same thing - we want things to be different, but we don't know how.

In a pre-election survey by Bloomberg, 16% of South African young people were described as "despondent" and worried about corruption and unemployment. It is hardly any wonder that just over 40% of South Africans aged 18-29 registered to vote. As the Electoral Knowledge Network notes: "For young people...