The Phunya Tsela Career Expo, a flagship initiative of the Kasi Career Expo (KCE) platform, will return to the John Taolo Gaetsewe (JTG) District on 24–25 June 2026, continuing its mission to connect young people with opportunities in education, skills development, entrepreneurship and future-focused industries.

Established in 2015, Kasi Career Expo has evolved into one of South Africa’s leading youth development and career guidance platforms, working alongside strategic public and private sector partners to improve access to information, opportunities and career pathways for young people in underserved communities.

Since the launch of the Phunya Tsela programme in 2022 in partnership with the John Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust and Assmang Khumani Mine, the initiative has grown into a collaborative platform bringing together mining houses, government departments, educational institutions, SETAs, development agencies and community stakeholders around a shared commitment to youth empowerment and human capital development in the Northern Cape.

The 2026 programme will once again engage more than 4,000 Grade 12 learners from across the JTG District through exhibitions, career guidance sessions, bursary and study support, entrepreneurship awareness, STEM-focused activations, digital learning opportunities and access to post-school pathways.

Strategic partners who have contributed to the programme over the years include Assmang Proprietary Limited (Khumani Iron Ore Mine and Black Rock Manganese Mine), Kudumane Manganese Resources, SIOC Community Development Trust, Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining, Mokala Manganese Mine, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the John Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust, educational institutions, SETAs, municipalities, development agencies and various government stakeholders committed to advancing opportunities for young people in the province.

The initiative supports broader national and provincial priorities relating to youth employment, education, skills development, school-to-work transitions and economic inclusion, while remaining rooted in a community-driven and partnership-led implementation model. Over the past decade, KCE has expanded beyond a traditional exhibition format into a year-round development platform focused on learner empowerment, stakeholder collaboration, teacher support initiatives, industry participation and sustainable education outcomes.

“The future growth of our communities depends on our ability to work together. Phunya Tsela continues to demonstrate how meaningful collaboration between the public and private sectors can create real opportunities for young people,” said Tumelo Mpolokeng, CEO of the John Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) continues to play an important role as a strategic media and developmental communications partner to the programme, supporting stakeholder awareness, and broader community outreach linked to youth development initiatives within the district.

The year 2026 marks the national commemoration of the “Milestones of Freedom”, guided by the theme “Honouring the past, delivering the future”. In alignment with this national flagship programme, the 2026 Phunya Tsela Career Expo is aligned with this theme, reinforcing the initiative’s commitment to empowering the next generation through education, innovation, opportunity and collaborative development.

As the programme continues to grow, Phunya Tsela is increasingly positioning itself as a catalytic partnership platform that strengthens collaboration between industry, government, education institutions and development stakeholders around shared education and youth development priorities within the Northern Cape.

This year’s programme will be hosted at the Thabo Moorosi Multipurpose Centre in Kuruman and is expected to attract learners, educators, exhibitors, industry leaders, training institutions, government representatives and development partners from across the Northern Cape and beyond.

Organisations, institutions and development partners interested in becoming part of the growing Phunya Tsela movement are encouraged to engage with the organisers ahead of the 2026 programme rollout through strategic partnerships, exhibitions, bursary support, youth empowerment initiatives, entrepreneurship programmes, digital learning activations and collaborative education interventions.