Don’t be fooled by her soft demeanour and small frame. Dynamite comes in small packages and at the age of 29, Mmatshepo Chiloane-Oganne is unstoppable.

The mother, wife, and former entrepreneur has made challenging career decisions and kept her faith and head up high every step of the way. She is a prime example of how the sky is the limit for the youth.

Chiloane-Oganne was appointed Deputy Director of Communication and Stakeholder Management in the office of the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Economic Development in February. She hit the ground running.

Chiloane-Oganne believes that on Youth Day, which is commemorated on 16 June, we should refocus our attention on the needs of young people, who form the largest part of the population. She says it doesn’t always seem that young people are the focal point when it comes to making decisions and policies. “We need more young voices.”

She believes the diversity of young voices should be amplified. “The youth are diverse in their interests, opinions, and causes, and all of that needs to be reflected. We need everyone. Each individual matters, as does everyone’s knowledge and interest. Everyone brings something.”

Chiloane-Oganne was born in Limpopo and still gives back to her community. Through a youth development programme, she hosts public speaking workshops at schools in the village. Her aim is for the project to grow into something bigger by bringing more youth on board and creating a massive impact.

At eight years, Chiloane-Oganne relocated with her family to Pretoria, where she completed her primary and high school. She obtained her journalism degree with honours from the University of Johannesburg and joined Africa The Good News, a digital platform sharing positive news about Africa, in 2013. She also had a stint at YFM and Primedia (Eyewitness News).

She later joined Midvaal Municipality as a senior media specialist in the executive mayor’s office. She left in 2019 with the idea of working independently and starting a business of copywriting in the beauty industry and blogging.

Little did she know her life was about to completely change. She gave birth and officially launched her business. Shortly thereafter, the Covid-19 pandemic hit SA shores. It was a challenging time for her. She had to decide whether to continue with the business, as well as master mothering while freelancing.

Chiloane-Oganne’s resilience helped her navigate through it all by taking it a day at a time. The business closed down at the end of 2021.

“God is ultimately in control. God has me covered. My name means hope, so I’m a very hopeful person. I know things will work out.”

Her parting shot to young people is: “It’s important to be ourselves and to honour who we are. Knowing yourself is the starting point of a lot of things.”