The always vibrant and inspiring Lusanda Msebi is a Gqeberha-born entrepreneur from Motherwell, and she has an incredible story that touches communities across continents. As the creator of the Catwalk Youth Development Agency (CYDA), formerly known as CATWALK SA, Lusanda currently resides in Cape Town. Along with volunteering her time as the Motherwell Community & Enviro Hub's communications officer, she also represents Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) as the Youth Climate Champion. She visits Gqeberha frequently to stay active in local activities, even though she is based in Cape Town and has strong ties to her homeland. "My heart is always with Gqeberha," Lusanda says. "Even though I live in Cape Town now, my work and connections in Motherwell are vital. I travel home frequently to keep in touch with what's happening on the ground."
Lusanda's daily life is a balance of nature and mindfulness. She finds peace in hiking, meditating, and journaling. "The first and last 30 minutes of each day are sacred to me," she explains. "No phones, no laptops—just time to centre myself."
CYDA, the Catwalk Youth Development Agency, emerged from the foundations of CATWALK SA in 2021. The original initiative was launched in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of creating a platform for creatives. Lusanda was inspired by her late uncle, Simpiwe Kaya, and noticed that artists were using their time at home to create but lacked avenues to showcase their work. "It was heartbreaking to see so much talent being stored away instead of shared," she recalls. "That realization sparked the idea to bring together creatives in fashion, music, photography, and visual arts to collaborate and share their talents with the public."
As the initiative grew, it became clear that a more structured approach was needed to support these dreams and ideas, leading to the establishment of CYDA. Lusanda’s vision for CYDA is to foster sustainable local economic development by empowering young people to innovate solutions that enhance the quality of life in their communities. "Our goal is to transform local youth into self-reliant, independent, and influential change-makers," she states passionately.
CYDA offers a variety of initiatives aimed at empowering youth and promoting environmental sustainability. One of their flagship programs, EcoMinded Creative Ambassadors, equips local youth with the skills and knowledge needed for climate action. They also have a sustainable fashion project that repurposes thrifted denim into unique handbags and hats. This initiative, born from their first group of ambassadors, seeks to enhance product quality to compete with store-bought items. "We want our products to stand out in the market," Lusanda says. "Our young people are incredibly talented, and we want to showcase that talent while promoting sustainability."
In addition to these, CYDA conducts workshops on enterprise development within the green economy. Their recent workshop at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Missionvale Campus on June 12th demonstrated their commitment to empowering young people to bring their ideas to life. They also organize clean-up campaigns with local schools in Motherwell to raise environmental awareness. Another notable initiative is the Catwalk Model Academy, which focuses on leadership development and confidence building for local youth. This program has expanded to Oyster Bay, where the Oyster Bay Model Academy is making significant strides.
Beyond her work with CYDA, Lusanda volunteers at the Motherwell Community & Enviro Hub. This community-led project focuses on recycling waste, organic food gardening, creating arts and crafts from recyclables, and raising environmental awareness. She is also an SA Climate Change Champ, part of an initiative by GreenCape that promotes constructive and collaborative engagement by communities, women, and youth in climate mitigation and adaptation.
Building CYDA has not been without challenges. The transition from CATWALK SA to CYDA Africa met with some resistance, as change often does. "Some people struggled to adjust to our new direction," Lusanda admits. "To address this, we are actively recruiting compassionate volunteers and scholars to contribute to local economic growth through CYDA’s programs."
Their efforts are gaining momentum in 2024, and they are fortunate to have support from organizations like the SA Climate Change Champs, BESTSELLER FOUNDATION, and Nelson Mandela University. "We are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received," she said. "It’s a testament to the power of networking and perseverance."
Looking to the future, Lusanda envisions CYDA nurturing, empowering, and transforming local youth to become self-reliant, independent, and influential change-makers in their communities. Her vision is a world where all young people are inspired and equipped to create the future they desire. The mission is to integrate youth issues such as unemployment into societal discourse and activate communities to foster healthy, caring, and responsible individuals. The core values of CYDA include environmental stewardship, creativity, integrity, and Ubuntu. They are committed to conserving natural resources, fostering innovative problem-solving, maintaining transparency, and promoting social justice and equality.
Currently, CYDA is assembling an active board of directors and seeks individuals with expertise in local economic development, project management, and youth coordination. They welcome funding opportunities and support to further their initiatives. Interested parties can connect with them on LinkedIn, Facebook, or via email at catwalkrsa@gmail.com.
When Lusanda is not busy with CYDA, she finds solace in meditating, writing and exploring new coffee flavours. "I'm on a quest to find the best coffee," she laughed. "It's an ongoing adventure that keeps me grounded and inspired." Her journey is proof of the power of dedication, community, and the relentless pursuit of a better future for all.