Zama Nobevu is Embarking on Another Long Walk to Help Unemployed Youth Build Their Own Futures

Photo Credit: Supplied by Zama Nobevu

Through thousands of kilometres on foot, King Zama Nobevu isn’t just testing his physical limits; he is rallying the nation to support his mission to help unemployed youth build brighter, self-sufficient futures.

Gauteng, South Africa (29 September 2026) – King Zama Nobevu is so determined to tackle unemployment through skills training, he’s willing to walk the distance for it – literally.

Last year, we shared how Nobevu took bold steps, walking exactly 700 km to fight youth unemployment. He walked from Ekurhuleni in Gauteng to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, raising funds to establish the Pariio Community Skills Centre for young people.

Earlier this year, he was joined by his friend and fellow long-distance walker, Thokozani Tevo, to walk from Ekurhuleni to Cape Town for the same cause.

Nobevu has shared with Good Things Guy that every kilometre endured on the road has paid off and is currently making a difference for youth who would otherwise still be sitting idle without work or direction.

“Through those long walks, we managed to buy sewing machines, and we are now training 40 young people and adults in sewing skills. We also managed to raise funds to buy chemicals to train 45 youth in dishwashing liquid and detergent manufacturing. Additionally, we raised funds to buy carpentry machines, and we are now training 50 young people and adults in carpentry skills,” he says.

However, his work is far from done. With the Pariio Community Skills Centre now in a better position to empower local youth, Nobevu has turned his attention to another underserved community where unemployment remains a major concern.

“This coming November 2026, I’ll be walking from Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, to Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape to help raise funds to build a skills centre in Ngcobo rural village.”

Nobevu says this upcoming charity walk, an extension of the Pariio Foundation, is directly linked to his passion for fighting South Africa’s high unemployment rate through hands-on skills training for young people and adults. Because, as he states, people equipped with practical skills can create work for themselves and others.

“Through this initiative, we are trying by all means possible to ensure that people have something productive to do and don’t engage in drugs and criminal activities.”
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From 1 November, he will lace up his trainers and strap on his backpack, leaving Ekurhuleni to embark on a 1,600 km journey, carrying the hope of a brighter future for those currently struggling to get by.

Nobevu is appealing for donations toward his verified crowdfunding campaign to help build the skills centre in Ngcobo, as well as sponsors for the long walk. His route will pass through Greenfields, Meyerton, Vereeniging, Ventersburg, Bloemfontein, Aliwal North, Elliot, Ngcobo, Mthatha, Coffee Bay, and KuGompo City, before finally ending in Gqeberha.

He can be contacted by email at [email protected] or on Facebook.