Hailing from Kuruman villages in the Northern Cape, Lesedi Salvation Monyolo is a testimony of dreams do come true as she boarded a luxury Silversea cruise liner in Cape Town on 22 February 2025, a cruise ship allowing her to see the world from the lense of an ocean as a culinary specialist. The air on deck was thick with salt and possibility. Boasting about Anglo American Zimele initiative Monyolo has achieved beyond her peers.
“I couldn’t believe I had reached my dream, always wanted to work on a ship. It became true because of Summit and Anglo American Zimele. It wasn’t simple, but I made it. Now, I’m living the dream.”
At 25 the assistant chef, Monyolo has sailed through 11 countries the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. His ambitions are already stretching beyond the galley. Having returned home on 15 August she has great hopes of becoming an executive chef in her own hospitality.
“I believe I will become a sous chef or even an executive chef. One day, I want to have my own hotel. At home, I’m the one who provides for everything. This opportunity changed my family’s life. We no longer struggle financially.” She ecstatically remarked.
Opportunity lies on International Waters
Monyolo’s journey is part of a partnership between Anglo American Zimele, Summit, and Silversea, designed to give unemployed young South Africans from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds an entry into the global hospitality industry.
Head of Anglo American Zimele, Larisha Naidoo says such initiatives curb the rise of unemployment through opening opportunities for young people to be mentored in resourceful skills
“Youth unemployment remains one of the major challenges South Africa is facing, this partnership is one of the ways we are helping reduce unemployment and poverty in our host communities through impactful skilling.”
Participants receive hospitality training, personal development coaching, and international placements. For many, the experience is a string of firsts: first job, first flight, first time leaving the country.
More Than Just a Paycheque
Placement Supervisor at Summit Dineo Phasha, youth must see beyond employment.
“This is not just about employment; it’s about reclaiming identity. Many of these young people come from communities where poverty had swallowed hope. Now, they are travelling the world, earning international salaries, and believing in themselves in ways they never thought possible.”
Opportunities given through Zimele allow participants to become breadwinners, breaking the cycle of poverty as they send money home, pay school fees for siblings, building houses, and in some cases, start businesses.
Behind every polished uniform is a backstory of resilience. One woman who had dropped out of school due to financial pressure now works in Europe, funding her siblings’ education. Another man who had never seen the ocean now wakes up in Mediterranean ports, picking up new languages between shifts.
Coming Home With More Than Memories
Post the programme the participants are rehabilitated through branding and marketing masterclasses to facilitate career growth. These sessions, already underway in Limpopo and Rustenburg to help participants articulate their stories, update their CVs, and plan for long-term success whether in hospitality, entrepreneurship, or other industries.
Beyond Inspiration
The statistics on youth unemployment in South Africa are stark 62.4% for those aged 15–24. Programmes like this do not erase those numbers, but they offer something equally important: proof that with targeted investment and a commitment to real skills transfer, transformation is possible.
From the dry streets of Kuruman to the ports of Europe, young South Africans like Monyolo is challenging what it means to come from a place that is often left off the map. They are working, earning, saving, and seeing the world in the process rewriting the story of rural youth.
“Thank you, Anglo American Zimele, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetimes. “At home, I used to wake up wondering if life would ever change. Now, I wake up in a new country, with a purpose I never knew before,” Monyolo added.