50 years later, Melisizwe asks: what will this generation of young women do with the opportunities the youth of 1976 fought for?
WHAT: RISE HER 2026, hosted by Melisizwe Social Enterprise, brings a symbolic schoolgirl from 1976 face-to-face with a Girls in STEM learner from 2026 in a live production marking 50 years since the 1976 youth uprising. The production ends with the symbolic passing of the baton, linking the fight for education in 1976 to today’s fight for access to opportunity and technology. The event also launches Melisizwe’s fourth Girls in STEM cohort, sponsored by SAP, with e4 attending as a valued sponsor of the Girls in STEM programme.
WHEN: Saturday, 22 August 2026
WHERE: Vorentoe Sports School of Specialisation, Johannesburg
WHO: Approximately 120 guests, including Girls in STEM learners, representatives of the Gauteng Department of Education, and corporate partners including SAP and e4.
TIME: 09h00 – 11h00
WHY: South Africa’s next generation faces youth unemployment, unequal access to opportunity, rapid technological change and the continued underrepresentation of women in STEM. Melisizwe’s Girls in STEM programme has reached young women through Maths and Science, Coding and Robotics, mentorship and real-world problem solving. Over 13 years, Melisizwe’s initiatives have reached more than 36,000 young people nationally.
