From classrooms to community halls, Johannesburg’s Youth Air Champions are turning knowledge into action, leading a movement that is redefining what youth-led environmental leadership looks like.

Young people are at the heart of building healthier, more liveable cities. In Johannesburg, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) Youth Air Champions have been leading the way, turning concern about air pollution into action through workshops, policy engagement, air quality policy dialogue, community engagement and social media campaigns that put young voices at the centre of the city’s response to toxic air.

What began as awareness-raising has evolved into meaningful youth participation in policy spaces. Young people are not just beneficiaries of air quality policies but also active contributors to shaping them and driving demand for better air quality management in Johannesburg.

The Challenge of Toxic Air in Johannesburg

For young people in Johannesburg, every breath comes at a cost. The city consistently records some of the highest pollution levels in South Africa, with air pollution identified as one of the most significant health risks. Industrial emissions, domestic fuel and waste burning, mining activities, vehicle emissions, sand and dust contribute to a complex air quality landscape that disproportionately affects women, children and low-income communities.

A recent survey found that 47% of Johannesburg residents are concerned about how air pollution will affect future generations. Children and youth are especially vulnerable, as their lungs are still developing and they are more exposed to pollutants. Air pollution impacts not only their health but also their hopes for the future.

In the face of such pressing challenges, the crucial role of youth education and awareness cannot be overstated. Empowering young people with knowledge, fostering environmental consciousness and encouraging activism are essential steps towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future. Young people can act as catalysts for change, inspiring their families, friends and communities to adopt sustainable practices and share the message. Furthermore, environmental education programmes equip young people with the knowledge and motivation needed to make a positive impact.

The Solution: Youth Leading Change

To address the urgent challenge of air pollution, Breathe Joburg partnered with Youth@SAIIA to launch a youth-led air pollution awareness initiative, the Air Aware: Breathe Joburg Youth-Led Air Pollution Awareness Campaign. The primary goal was to engage and empower young people by enhancing their understanding of air quality issues and the broader implications for public health and the environment. The initiative aimed to foster a sense of agency and leadership in tackling environmental problems, provide practical learning experiences through hands-on activities and simulations, and raise awareness of and advocate for air quality issues within local communities.

As part of this effort, 50 young people aged 13–25, including myself, received training on air quality policies and project management. We were prepared to lead air quality awareness-raising campaigns and share our knowledge in our communities. The training workshop introduced us to key climate-resilience policies and legal frameworks that influence air quality governance both in South Africa and globally. The workshop concluded with a model parliament simulation, allowing us to apply our understanding of current affairs and showcase our newfound knowledge about air quality.

The programme also included experiential learning through a site visit to Mpumalanga, South Africa’s energy hub, which is significantly impacted by air quality issues. This visit allowed us to witness first-hand the effects of breathing polluted air.

After completing comprehensive training, eight individuals from key air-quality priority areas in South Africa were selected to become Youth Air Champions. We were supported in delivering campaigns focused on air quality in our communities and schools, using social media for digital outreach and conducting on-the-ground workshops.

Throughout the implementation of their successful awareness-raising campaigns, the Youth Air Champions took the lead, from conceptualisation to execution. This experience enabled us to step into leadership roles and learn to navigate the real-world challenges associated with project implementation and advocacy campaigns. The Air Aware campaign was truly youth-led, with young people shaping it from the beginning.

From Awareness to Policy Engagement

As the pilot phase of the Air Aware campaign concludes, it has become apparent that awareness alone is not enough. Young people were not only learning about air pollution – they were asking deeper questions about accountability, governance and how decisions about air quality are made, particularly in the City of Johannesburg, the campaign’s focal point.

This has marked a crucial turning point, as the campaign has sought to create structured pathways for youth to move from awareness into meaningful policy engagement. It has provided an intergenerational platform for youth to engage with diverse stakeholders, including civil society, policymakers, researchers and experts, on air pollution policy and implementation concerns in the City of Johannesburg.

Given this context, a significant milestone in this journey was the facilitation of the Air Aware: Pre-Conference Workshop on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation on 10 February 2026, hosted in partnership with Breathe Cities and the City of Johannesburg at SAIIA’s headquarters in Braamfontein.

This workshop sought to prepare and empower youth participants with the knowledge and skills required to contribute meaningfully to conference policy dialogues and to co-produce a credible, youth-led ‘Youth Statement on Air Pollution’ that informs decision-making on the City of Johannesburg’s air quality policies.

Rather than being a typical workshop, it served as a bridge between the youth’s lived experiences with air pollution and the City of Johannesburg’s air quality policy context.

The workshop’s goal was to:

• strengthen participants’ understanding of air pollution challenges, as well as the City of Johannesburg’s air quality policy context, framework and policy recommendations (interventions);
• increase understanding of how air quality governance works at city level;
• increase understanding of what policy dialogue entails and their role in policy spaces;
• build their confidence to speak in multi-stakeholder spaces;
• reflect on how air pollution affects their own communities; and
• translate lived experience into policy-relevant inputs as contributions.

The discussions moved beyond general concerns to practical solutions. Participants explored and reflected on the main causes of air pollution in their communities, including residential burning driven by energy poverty; transport systems that increase emissions; and the health burden of waste burning in underserved areas. These were not abstract ideas but daily realities.

A key outcome of the workshop was the co-development of the ‘Youth Statement on Air Pollution for the City of Johannesburg’, calling for strengthened air quality management. This process helped young people shift from sharing personal experiences to articulating collective recommendations. It also introduced them to the idea that policy engagement is not just about speaking up, but also about proposing realistic, evidence-informed solutions.

The upcoming Air Aware: Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution and Implementation on 26 February 2026 at The Wanderers Club in Johannesburg is the next crucial step in the campaign. Here, youth are positioned not as symbolic participants but as contributors to an intergenerational dialogue on shaping a clean air future for Johannesburg. They will offer community insights through their lived experiences of air pollution, engage directly with policy experts and decision-makers and formally hand over the Youth Statement to the City of Johannesburg.

This progression – from learning, to local action, to policy dialogue – demonstrates a growing recognition that youth perspectives strengthen air quality management and environmental governance. Young people bring lived realities, long-term stakes and innovative ideas that are essential for sustainable solutions.

In many ways, this is where the real impact lies: not only in what youth learn, but in how decision-makers and institutions begin to listen.

The Impact: From Awareness Raising to Driving Change

What began as a learning experience quickly evolved into a movement. The Breathe Joburg Air Aware campaign demonstrated what is possible when young people are trusted to lead. For many of the Youth Air Champions, it was about understanding air quality, finding their voices and using them to create real change in their communities. We learned to think critically, speak confidently and manage projects that brought conversations about air pollution into classrooms, homes and community halls.

I have transitioned from participant to mentor. I joined SAIIA as an intern and have now risen to the position of Programme Associate. Today, I am helping to guide other young leaders across South Africa in designing and leading their own air quality advocacy campaigns. My journey embodies the heart of what this project has aimed to achieve: building a generation of informed, motivated changemakers who view environmental action as part of their daily lives.

For SAIIA, the campaign has created a legacy. Air quality has become a growing focus within the Youth@SAIIA programme, shaping future youth-led initiatives on environmental governance and sustainability. For the City of Johannesburg, the project has opened new channels for dialogue between officials and youth, proving that when young people are invited to the table, they can actively contribute to shaping the city’s response to air pollution. The city’s ongoing engagement, including support for school-based campaigns, indicates that this collaboration is just the beginning.

The ripple effects of this youth-led air pollution awareness campaign continue to spread through every workshop, conversation and post shared online, inspiring more young people to take action about the air they breathe.

Research by Lehlohonolo Jack

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs