Over half of the South African population are under the age of 25. This 'youth bulge' has the potential to provide a future 'demographic dividend' to South Africa in the form of increased economic productivity. However, such a boon is dependent on a number of factors, key of which is that young people are healthy. Currently, the burden of disease among youth is high, with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV emerging as the leading causes of death among all youth in the country, along with violence and traffic accidents for young men. Improving the health and well-being of adolescents and youth is crucial for their well-being today, and for their future economic productivity, because behaviour and health developed during these stages of life are key predictors of the adult burden of disease, and because health like education is a key factor in the intergenerational transmission of poverty.
Human Sciences Research Council (2026) studied this question.