South Africa’s first and only young black glassblower, Kgotso Pati designs the 1st Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards trophy. Pat on Brands will be hosting their inaugural Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards (YOBA) on the 15th of June 2022. The YOBA awards are the first of its kind in the marketing and communications industry that are run by the youth for the youth. The awards are meant to celebrate and recognize brands that are owned and run by the youth.
About Top 16 YOBA
With over 480 nominations in 16 categories obtained for YOBA, the category winners and the overall youth-owned brand winner will have the honor of walking away with this trophy. The trophy that is a true epitome of youth empowerment and development. The trophy is designed and produced by the only known and established black South African glassblowing artist, Kgotso Pati.
About Kgotso Pati
Kgotso Pati is an award-winning glassblower, born and bred in Ganyesa, a small town in the North West province. He attended school in Genyesa, and later found his love for drawing. After completing his matric, Kgotso decided to study civil engineering, which was influenced by the impression he wanted to make to his parents. “While I was still studying civil engineering, I met a guy in the library, who informed me about the possibility of studying art, and at the time I did not know that one can study fine arts”, Pati says.
Pati realized that he could make a living out of art after doing some research on graphic design, interior design and fine arts. He decided to no longer pursue civil engineering, and rather study fine arts at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Studying fine arts introduced Pati to other dynamics of art, other than drawing – such as painting, sculpturing, ceramics and ultimately, glass. Pati found his true love in art, particularly in the art of glass. Glass [glassblowing] was what really interested him in fine arts, which led up to him opening his own glass business, called ‘PATI glass’.
Meaning Behind The Trophy
The Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards’ trophy symbolizes the heightening of the youth of South Africa. The design comprises of a Y-shaped stem, the ‘Y’ being for ‘Youth’. The globe is situated at the top of the ‘Y’, meaning that the youth is carrying/running the world economically. The globe highlights the country of South Africa to signify that the youth of South Africa succeeds beyond its borders, so it is ‘Africa to the world’, and the youth of South Africa to greater heights.
Pat on Brands initiative, Top 16 YOBA aims at recognizing and celebrating local youth-owned brands, and most importantly empowering the youth, which aligns with what Kgotso Pati stands for – a young man who believed in himself, and started his own business to educate and share his skills with the youth. “I am very honored to be part of the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards, because I think it is an exciting initiative that will inspire the youth to believe in themselves”, Pati says.
Youth Unemployment
In a world with a high rate of unemployment and lack of opportunities , it is imperative for the youth to continuously upskill and possibly open their own businesses to create jobs and generate wealth for generations to come. The youth of South Africa accumulates over 35 percent of the total population of South Africa, with the unemployment rate at almost 60 percent. Statistics prove that more than half of the youth of South Africa is currently unemployed, and if nothing is done about it, the unemployment rate will continue to rise, hence the existence of initiatives such as the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards. The awards will encourage the youth believe in their potential to eradicate unemployment.
Details of the event
Pat on Brands believes in the power, impact and potential the youth has to change the world. It took Pat on Brands to have trust in the youth and their potential to start the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards initiative. The youth should also trust in themselves, to stand up and create opportunities for themselves, in a world with little to no opportunities. Pat on Brands cannot wait to celebrate youth-owned brands on the 15th of June 2022, happening at The Capital: On the Park, in Sandton. Tickets are now available to purchase here: https://patonbrands.com/eventer/top-16-youth-owned-brand/
