South African Youth Head To Russia As Global Festival Opens New Space For International Cooperation

PRETORIA – A group of young South Africans is preparing to travel to Russia this week for an international youth gathering that organisers hope will create new opportunities for professional development, cultural exchange and cross-border cooperation.

The participants are travelling through Shyire Krug, a network linked to alumni of Soviet and Russian universities, which has been promoting exchanges between young people from South Africa and Russia.

A send-off ceremony hosted by the Russian Embassy this week allowed participants to receive practical guidance ahead of their departure, including advice on travel, documentation and conduct during the programme.

The delegation is heading to Yekaterinburg, where the International Festival of Youth will take place from 11 to 17 September 2026.

The festival is expected to bring together 10,000 young people from 191 countries, following a selection process that attracted more than 113,000 applications. Participants include young people working or studying in areas ranging from science and technology to entrepreneurship, media, education, creative industries and sport.

For the South African participants, the trip is being presented as more than an international cultural experience.

Building networks beyond the classroom

Percy Nkosi, co-founder of Ortak Solutions and a practising geologist, is a Shira Circle alumnus who has experienced the programme’s international opportunities first-hand.

He said platforms such as Shira Circle were helping create connections between South African young professionals and institutions and networks outside the country.

“Shyire Krug Circle connects South African talent to global opportunities,” Nkosi said.

The initiative’s programmes include CASE-IN, GeoChallenge, and participation in international youth events, with the broader objective of creating links across academia, business, science, and technology.

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Nkosi said alumni networks were particularly important because the value of international programmes often extends beyond the event itself.

Participants can maintain professional relationships, exchange knowledge and develop projects after returning home.

“Participants return with greater confidence and new skills to share with their communities,” he said.

The emphasis on alumni networks reflects a broader shift in international youth programmes, where organisers increasingly seek to turn short-term exchanges into longer-term professional and institutional relationships.

A festival with a much bigger international footprint

The Yekaterinburg gathering is part of Russia’s broader effort to maintain the international youth festival format established through the World Youth Festival.

The 2024 World Youth Festival, held in Sirius near Sochi, attracted tens of thousands of participants and volunteers from more than 180 countries and territories, according to the festival organisers.

The 2026 event has a somewhat different format but retains the emphasis on international youth cooperation.

The official programme includes discussions, exhibitions, cultural activities, networking and opportunities to develop project and partnership ideas. Participants are drawn from fields including science, education, entrepreneurship, media, public administration, sport and the creative industries.

Russia’s organisers have also positioned the event as a platform for young people from the Global South to engage with Russian institutions and international peers.

At a BRICS+ Youth Innovation Summit held at Tshwane University of Technology in April, Amina Hubieva, a senior adviser at the World Youth Festival Directorate, described the festival as a mechanism for international cooperation and professional networking.

She said young Africans would have an opportunity to present their initiatives internationally and establish links with expert communities.

South Africa-Russia youth links

The participation of South African youth comes as Pretoria and Moscow continue to maintain longstanding political, educational and economic ties.

Those relations date back to the Soviet Union’s support for the anti-apartheid movement and have evolved into formal cooperation in areas including education, science, trade and multilateral diplomacy.

Youth exchanges provide a less formal channel through which those relationships can develop.

For South African participants, the practical value may lie in exposure to different education systems, industries and professional networks that are difficult to access through domestic programmes alone.

Dr Mabongi Nyalungu, also known as Jessica, is one of the prominent members of the Shyire Krug community.

Nyalungu spent six years studying in Russia and later became an ambassador for the World Youth Festival. She now assists with the selection of South African participants.

She said young people should approach the festival with a clear understanding of what they can gain from the experience.

“The festival is not just a trip; it is an invaluable opportunity for personal and professional growth,” Nyalungu said.

Participants generally range from 14 to 35, with the programme designed to bring together young people at different stages of their education and professional lives.

From computer science to geology

The South African contingent reflects the range of disciplines targeted by the festival.

Njabulo Ndlovu, a computer science graduate who spent six and a half years studying in Russia, said he joined the programme because he wanted to broaden his horizons and share his experiences with other young people.

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“I strongly encourage my peers to apply. The networking sessions and potential opportunities are invaluable,” Ndlovu said.

For professionals such as Ndlovu and Nkosi, international youth programmes can provide something that conventional academic qualifications cannot always offer: direct access to people working in different countries and sectors.

That networking can become particularly important for young professionals seeking collaborations, research partnerships, business opportunities or further study.

Preparing participants for Russia

The Russian Embassy has also focused on practical preparations ahead of the journey.

Polina Kulakova, the embassy’s third secretary, advised participants to ensure that they had all required travel documents, including invitations and customs declarations.

She also warned participants to prepare for practical challenges involving international payments.

“Make sure to bring sufficient cash, as international bank cards can be difficult to use,” Kulakova said.

Participants have also been advised to pack appropriate clothing for Yekaterinburg’s weather and to prepare for a programme that will involve cultural activities, networking and formal engagements.

The official festival programme describes Yekaterinburg as the main host city, with additional regional activities planned after the central programme. The organisers say 1,000 international participants will take part in expedition programmes covering 35 regions of Russia, as well as destinations outside the country.

More than a trip

For the South African participants, there is also an emphasis on how they represent their country.

They have been encouraged to participate in cultural exchanges, display South African flags and wear clothing reflecting their national identity.

Nyalungu and Nkosi said the festival should not be approached simply as an overseas holiday but as an opportunity to build relationships and strengthen South Africa’s presence in international youth networks.

That distinction matters.

International youth festivals can provide informal diplomacy alongside their educational and cultural functions. Young professionals who establish relationships abroad can become future researchers, entrepreneurs, executives, academics and public-sector leaders, potentially creating networks that outlast the event itself.

Russia is clearly placing importance on that longer-term dimension. The official festival platform says the 2026 gathering is intended to create opportunities for participants to exchange experience, propose projects and establish partnership initiatives.

For South Africa, the value of the programme will ultimately depend on what participants do with those connections when they return.

Nkosi’s message to the delegation was therefore focused on the journey beyond the festival itself.

“Every step taken in this journey is vital. Keep pushing forward,” he said.

As the young South Africans prepare to leave for Yekaterinburg, they will join thousands of peers from around the world in a gathering that sits at the intersection of youth development, cultural diplomacy and international networking.

For them, the real test may begin after the festival ends: whether the relationships, knowledge and opportunities developed in Russia can be converted into collaborations and initiatives that have an impact back home.