Across Africa, young leaders with and without intellectual disabilities are stepping into the global spotlight and the world is paying attention. From Regional summits to global platforms, young Special Olympics leaders are not waiting for change; they are leading it.
From 24 – 26 February, 30 youth leaders from 14 countries across the Africa region convened alongside other athlete leaders at the Special Olympics Africa Regional Youth Leadership in Johannesburg.
The African Mirror covered the action in a piece titled Africa Is Rising: The Leaders Are Already Here. It featured specific examples of how young people from the continent are coming together not as beneficiaries, but as decision-makers designing projects, leading dialogue, and returning home with plans to create change in their communities.
In a city that has seen so many moments of historic reckoning, something quiet and powerful unfolded inside those rooms. Zamangwe Mazibuko and Lumka Gogela—a Unified pair, two young women bound by friendship and purpose—stood before their peers and delivered the welcome. Their words landed not as a ceremony, but as a declaration. “We are here. We belong here. We are already leading.”
Across the room, Hyppolite Koubassare from Burkina Faso listened—the same young man who didn’t wait for an invitation to solve problems in his community. He built an app. With his own hands, his own mind, he built a tool to serve his Special Olympics program. He is not the leader of tomorrow. He is the leader of today, already at work.
“We are not just part of Special Olympics. We are building it. We are sharpening it.”
Through youth leadership pathways, global and regional convenings, and inclusive education initiatives, young leaders are gaining the skills, confidence, and platforms needed to drive impact far beyond sport. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to unleashing leadership potential in people of all abilities and ensuring youth voices are central to the future of inclusion.
"Thank you so much to all the delegates for being here. And a sincere appreciation to Special Olympics Africa and Special Olympics International for making this conference a success. As you see me running for the ball in this photo, I ask you to see something deeper. There are still athletes waiting. Still athletes watching. Still athletes hoping for an opportunity. Let us not sit back. Let us go to the field. Let us roll up our sleeves. Let us run for them. Let us find them. Let us bring them home to Special Olympics."
