A $2.5 million state-first initiative is putting culture, connection and sport at the heart of support for young African South Australians. Unveiled at Gepps Cross’ ServiceFM stadium, the Empowering African Youth Program is designed to build belonging, resilience and aspiration among students of African heritage in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. The launch comes amid a growing call from communities for long-term solutions to challenges facing African-Australian youth, and the program’s design reflects months of collaboration between government, schools, community organisations and service providers.
Targeting six public high schools with large cohorts of African-background students—Craigmore High, Mark Oliphant College, Salisbury East High, Parafield Gardens High, Playford International College and Roma Mitchell Secondary—the program will run as a school-based initiative while maintaining strong links to community. The approach aims to bolster student engagement, keep young people connected to their cultural roots, and create pathways towards long-term educational success.
Football SA has signed on as a major partner, tasked with delivering the African Youth Football Program inside the schools. The program begins in week three of term two, integrated into school timetables to help students connect education with sport in meaningful ways. The appointment of a dedicated African Youth Program Coordinator is expected to strengthen that bridge, ensuring the work remains relevant and accessible to the students it serves.
Through football, students are encouraged to not just build sporting ability, but also explore team spirit, leadership and persistence. But it doesn’t stop on the pitch. Alongside drills and matches, young participants will attend themed workshops designed to address social and emotional needs, develop life skills, and open up networks of support.
In parallel, a second strand—the Village Program—will focus on mentorship and peer development, supported by culturally specific service provider Mentoring, Coaching and Counselling (MCC). MCC has been delivering targeted work in northern Adelaide communities and brings a deep understanding of the local context. The Village Program will roll out in collaboration with Basketball SA and the Eastside Rams, offering a basketball component alongside group sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and direct case management.
The program design reflects the findings of a 2023 report by the African Communities Council of South Australia, which highlighted concerns about youth disengagement and community safety. Rather than focusing solely on risk, the report emphasised the importance of building capacity, strengthening families, and supporting communities to lead change. This latest announcement aligns closely with those recommendations and signals a move towards prevention, rather than response.
Support is also being extended to African community organisations through new grants, designed to fund projects that focus on family strength, wellbeing and youth development. These grants are expected to help grassroots groups offer locally led programs that build trust and confidence, while tailoring support to specific cultural and generational dynamics.
Organisations including the African Communities Council of South Australia will also continue their work to build collaboration across different African communities in the state, aiming to pool resources and expertise while preserving distinct cultural identities. Meanwhile, state agencies and services are also pitching in, including SAPOL, Mission Australia, the Legal Services Commission, STTARS (Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Services), and Basketball SA—all of which are contributing in-kind support to boost the program’s delivery.
For South Australia’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zoe Bettison, the work represents a broader government commitment to inclusion and equity. Speaking at the launch, she pointed to the importance of designing early interventions with community, not just for them. The Minister acknowledged past gaps and the need to build support systems that are both culturally appropriate and practical.
The early stages of engagement, she said, had already drawn positive feedback from both students and partner organisations, providing a degree of validation for the program’s structure and timing. She added that the shared goal is to build long-term support for young people that honours their identity while opening up new pathways through education, employment, and civic participation.
MCC’s Executive Director David Chikwuba echoed that sentiment, describing the program as a space where students can safely explore their identity and grow into confident contributors within both their communities and broader Australian society. He said the weekly sessions mix storytelling, civic learning and creative expression, helping participants understand themselves and their potential more clearly.
He also pointed out the broader impact on schools, noting that such programs can help shift culture from within, making schools more inclusive, curious and open. As students begin to connect across backgrounds and share their experiences, schools move closer to becoming places where difference is not just tolerated but understood and respected.
There is also a clear focus on sustainability. The intention is to use this investment not as a one-off but as a catalyst for further connection and capability-building. With students learning new skills, communities gaining resources, and government strengthening its partnerships, the program is setting up a model that could be adopted in other parts of the state or country.
Sport, in this case, is more than an activity—it’s a vehicle. Football and basketball may be the drawcard, but what happens on the sidelines is just as important. It’s where trust is built, conversations start, and confidence grows. For students navigating complex cultural identities, school pressures and social challenges, that combination of sport, support and storytelling may prove critical.
The state’s investment in this program is one of the largest of its kind aimed specifically at African Australian youth. With school, community, and government all aligned behind a common goal, the hope is that these young people will not only stay engaged through school but move forward with a stronger sense of who they are and where they want to go.
It’s also a response to growing awareness that cultural heritage and belonging play a vital role in youth wellbeing. The design of the Empowering African Youth Program centres these values, rather than sidelining them, and seeks to create an environment where young people are not asked to choose between identities, but are supported in building bridges between them.
As the program kicks off this term, all eyes will be on the impact it has—on the football field, in the classrooms, and inside the broader community. With multiple layers of engagement, from mentoring to sport to case management and creative workshops, the initiative reflects a recognition that young people are not one-dimensional, and neither are their needs.
Whether it’s through a goal scored, a story shared, or a connection formed, the Empowering African Youth Program offers new ways for students to see themselves—and be seen—on their own terms. For a group of young South Australians often underrepresented in policy and support, this might just be the start of something lasting.
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