From the classrooms of Umtata High School to the national stage as the Deputy President of the Eastern Cape Provincial Representative Council of Learners, Anele Jnr Madolwana is a leader who speaks up and uses every available platform to show up for his peers.
Umtata, South Africa (20 July 2026) – For Anele Jnr Madolwana, showing up as a leader is not just about having a position of power, a title or the privileges he gets to enjoy. It is about representing the people who have trusted him with their voices.
The Grade 11 Umtata High School learner is a self-confessed advocate for learner leadership, youth empowerment and community development.
He currently serves as the Deputy President of the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) at his school, where he promotes learner participation, responsible leadership, policy formation and school development initiatives.
Stepping up to the district level, Anele serves as the President of the O.R. Tambo Inland District Representative Council of Learners. In this role, he represents learner leaders across the district and works collaboratively with education stakeholders to strengthen learner governance and participation.
His impact extends even further at the provincial level, where he serves as the Deputy President of the Eastern Cape Provincial Representative Council of Learners. Here, Anele contributes to provincial learner leadership programmes and advocates for learner interests across the province.
Most recently, he was entrusted with the honour of representing the learners of the Eastern Cape at the national learner leadership summit, where he discussed matters that affect all learners in South Africa – a responsibility he didn’t take lightly.
“It is beyond an honour to lead over 1.5 million learners across the Eastern Cape province, but so great is the responsibility,” Anele tells Good Things Guy.
“To show up for me is to be present, to engage, to listen, to make a change and ultimately to have a lasting impact not only on this generation but the ones after it. It is of high significance because the aspirations of the people I lead are taken into account when I show up.”
Beyond leadership, Anele is also a model, currently vying for the Mr Teen SA title.
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In addition to using the opportunity to challenge long-held views of masculinity, he hopes the platform will extend his reach to advocate for mental health, learner inclusion, equality and community engagement.
“Being the next ambassador for the pageant would be an opportunity to involve multiple stakeholders both in leadership and modelling to advance the mandate of youth and learner leadership. Because I genuinely believe that if young minds are given the opportunity to display their brilliance, a lot would come out of it for the benefit of the entire globe.”
Anele is a born leader; one who ensures that the needs, concerns, and aspirations of his peers never go unheard, but are instead placed at the very forefront.
As he prepares for the Mr Teen SA Finalist sashing ceremony at Vodacom World Events in Johannesburg, he carries with him the hope to continue reaching and touching the lives of young people who have a dream.
Sources: Anele Jnr Madolwana
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