Wynberg Boys’ High School pupil Zac Lewis has been selected for a global youth fellowship which he hopes will show him how young leaders across the world have tackled challenges in their own communities and give him fresh ideas to bring back home.
Wynberg, South Africa (18 September 2026) – The desire to meet young people from diverse cultures has opened the door to an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for 17-year-old Zac Lewis.
During a conversation with his mother, the Wynberg Boys’ High School pupil learned about T4 Education’s new Global Youth Council fellowship, a programme designed for 16- to 18-year-olds worldwide. Now, he has been selected as its very first announced Fellow!
According to Cassandra Pillay, communications manager at T4 Education, the fellowship brings together youth from around the world to learn from global experts, exchange ideas, and explore ways to create public impact.
The selection process required written questions, a video submission, and an interview. Zac noted that the video gave him a chance to showcase his personality, while his involvement in the Junior City Council (JCC) demonstrated his leadership and community drive.
“What interested me was the opportunity to learn from people with completely different backgrounds from me. I also liked the idea of being able to bring what I learn back to South Africa,” Zac said.
Zac’s willingness to step outside his comfort zone has long shaped his approach to life. He is already balancing civic leadership with first-team sport, competitive boxing and music. He serves on the Junior City Council (JCC), is a first-team basketball and rugby player, competitive boxer and musician. He has earned full colours playing marimba and also plays the saxophone
“I’ve never wanted to be a master of one thing. I’d rather try different things, even if I’m not the best at all of them, because you learn something from every experience.”
He recognises that he has been fortunate to have access to opportunities including a good school and various extracurriculars, and is passionate about addressing unequal access to opportunities in South Africa, particularly in education.
“There is so much potential in South Africa. So many young people have incredible talent, ideas, and the ability to make a difference, but not everyone gets the same chance to show what they can do,” he said.
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“If we could make education and other opportunities more accessible, we could unlock a huge amount of that potential.”
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“I’m really curious to learn about who these young people are, where they come from and what their experiences have been,” he says.
Zac is also looking forward to meeting the programme’s mentors and developing his communication and leadership skills, as he’d like to one day be in a position to be a positive influence on other people too.
Although he does not yet consider himself a role model, Zac believes people should share knowledge and experience that could help others. For him, the fellowship is ultimately about turning what he learns into action. As he puts it:
“If your words don’t hold action, then what’s the point of your words? I want to take what I learn from the Global Youth Council and actually use it to make a difference in South Africa.”
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