?Five remarkable Maties have been recognised among News24's 30 Young Mandelas of 2025, an accolade honouring young South Africans who embody the spirit and values of former president Nelson Mandela through their leadership, activism, and innovation.
This year's 30 Young Mandelas were selected for their outstanding contributions across six key categories: Social Justice, Climate Literacy, Innovation, Mental Health, Humanitarianism and Deepening Democracy. Among the honourees are current SU student Alexandra Lutz and alumni Dr Stefani du Toit, Dr Juandré Klopper, Gabi Immelman and Ryan Young.
Four of the five Maties were recognised in the Innovation category. Second-year Data Science student Alexandra Lutz founded Milani Education while still in high school, driven by her awareness of educational inequalities. The free platform provides learners with the tools they need to succeed, helping make educational resources more accessible to learners in underserved communities. Lutz describes her selection as “such an honour", adding: “I am extremely grateful to all of the people who have supported me in my journey of founding Milani Education and growing our organisation to what it has become today." She says the award will make more people aware of Milani Education, and hopefully this will make it possible for more learners to benefit from the platform's free online learning resources. “The award also demonstrates the power that young South Africans can have to lead, transform and create hope for a better South Africa," she adds.
Dr Juandré Klopper, a medical doctor, inventor and entrepreneur, is the founder of Sponsor Medic, a non-governmental organisation that raises funds to place doctors in under-resourced hospitals and communities. A graduate of SU's medical programme in 2020, Klopper was also named one of News24's Top 6 Star Mandelas for his outstanding achievements in innovation. “We see this prize not as a celebration of ourselves, but of youth everywhere who rise to meet challenges and work toward solutions. In South Africa, countless individuals quietly give more of themselves each day to help others in extraordinary ways. We are just one of many — and we believe it's important to remind everyone that every bit of effort matters," he says.
SU alumna Gabi Immelman is the founder and CEO of Mindjoy, a cutting-edge educational platform that uses adaptive AI tutors to personalise learning. Mindjoy aims to help learners better understand complex concepts through real-world problem solving, placing the power of learning back in the hands of students.
Dr Stefani du Toit, whose PhD in Public Health explored adolescent mental health in contexts of high adversity, was recognised for her efforts to improve mental health outcomes in underserved communities. “Being nominated as one of the Young Mandelas of 2025 is an enormous honour. I am grateful for the privilege of being in a career that is not just a job, but a calling; a commitment to contributing to improving the lives of others." Du Toit's academic work spans various life stages and focuses on finding solutions to improve well-being among vulnerable populations. “This nomination would certainly not have been possible without the support from my colleagues at the Institute for Life Course Health Research," she says.
Meanwhile, SU alumnus Ryan Young was honoured in the Deepening Democracy category, alongside his partner Yeshav Sewlal, for co-creating Yoh Vote, a political matchmaking platform designed to engage young South Africans in the democratic process. Launched with a group of his friends ahead of the 2024 national elections, the website presents political information in a dating app-style format, helping to combat youth voter apathy by making civic engagement more relatable and accessible. Over 87 000 people took the quiz ahead of the election. Of the recognition, Young says: “It is an honour to be included amongst such impressive young South Africans and to be given a platform by News24. We hope to use this to grow and develop Yoh Vote ahead of the next local government election."
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