Scorpion Kings Concert: NYDA Sets the Record Straight Following Massive Backlash

• The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) has responded to the backlash from their partnership with the Scorpion Kings amid social media outrage
• The collaboration aimed to empower young people by offering practical experience before entering the job market
• However, many South Africans criticised the initiative for prioritising celebrities while overlooking other projects that need support

Following the mounting outrage regarding the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)'s support for Scorpion Kings Live with Friends, the agency has finally cleared the air.

The initiative was created to recruit 150 South African youth for employment opportunities at the concert, offering practical experience in event management, stage support, ushering, and front-of-house operations.

However, the NYDA was criticised for supporting high-profile celebrities like the Scorpion Kings while overlooking ordinary South Africans looking for opportunities to expand their businesses.

Responding to the backlash in a statement released on 29 August 2025, the organisation cleared the air on its collaboration with Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa:

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"The NYDA has entered a partnership with Scorpion Kings to expand opportunities for young people. This partnership with the Scorpion Kings is a non-financial collaboration aimed at creating opportunities for young people in the creative sector. The NYDA did not pay or provide financial support for the Scorpion Kings event."

Even with the statement, South Africans remain dissatisfied and continue to call out the agency for failing the youth.

Read online reactions from South Africans

South Africans took to social media to criticise the NYDA. Read some of their comments below:

kay_chaba said:

"Thousands of youth have been left hanging with no responses to their funding applications, yet NYDA is quick to showcase partnerships with celebrities. Are we invisible because we’re just ordinary citizens trying to build businesses? If the same urgency shown for high-profile collabs was applied to actual grant applications, maybe young people’s lives would truly be changing."

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mangubs_p wrote:

"We are on our own, South Africa; the government failed us."

kano_onneile complained:

"We've been applying for grants and haven't received a response, but all of a sudden, NYDA is committing to events like this. The priorities aren't quite right! Our government is really disappointing."

sto0018 posted:

"'No funds paid' doesn’t mean no cost. Staff, logistics and PR still use taxpayer resources. And why partner with millionaire DJs instead of grassroots youth projects that actually need support? Optics look more like hype than empowerment."

T_S_T_dee smelled something fishy:

"This whole statement smells of money laundering cover-ups. You used this event to launder money for politicians in the guise of '150 youth employment.'"

IamTomTsibinki had questions:

"The question remains: How and where did you get the 150 young South Africans to participate in this event. How were they selected? Who selected them, and when were they selected? Transparency, right?"

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Fans admire Kamo Mphela's performance

In more Scorpion Kings updates, Briefly News shared online reactions to Kamo Mphela's performance at Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa's concert.

Fans declared her performance the best of the night, many still feeling nostalgic from watching videos of her on stage.

Source: Briefly News