---
title: "The career path is changing. What does this mean for young people?"
description: "The latest Invest-ED Live event brought together people with very different career journeys, covering topics such as AI entrepreneurship, working in the creator economy, and converting a career in professional sport into something in a completely different space. One common thread emerged – the working world of tomorrow is likely to look unrecognisable from what it looks like today."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Sponsored Content"
author: "Investec"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/investec/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-30-the-career-path-is-changing-what-does-this-mean-for-young-people/"
published: "2026-09-30T16:16:46"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 768
---

# The career path is changing. What does this mean for young people?

> The latest Invest-ED Live event brought together people with very different career journeys, covering topics such as AI entrepreneurship, working in the creator economy, and converting a career in professional sport into something in a completely different space. One common thread emerged – the working world of tomorrow is likely to look unrecognisable from what it looks like today.

By Investec · Published 30 September 2026, 18:16 SAST

## Content

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

It’s a question generations of young people have been asked – largely by those much older than them. But, the answer is becoming increasingly more difficult to pin down, [as careers change](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-17-what-todays-teens-should-know-about-tomorrows-careers), new roles emerge, and the skills needed in the working world evolve.

The latest [Invest-ED Live](https://link.investec.com/qga3v5) event formed part of Investec’s national programme for grade 8–12 learners and the adults who support them. It gives young people and their families reliable information, practical guidance, and a broader view of the opportunities available to them, whilst opening their minds to potential future careers.

This particular hour-long online webinar explored three ways of thinking about the future of work: creating one’s own opportunity, building a career that doesn’t follow a straight line, and preparing for life beyond professional sport, should you be a youngster with designs on such a career.

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFOf080Tmx8)

### **Creating the job, rather than applying for it**

Thalia Pillay, co-founder and CEO of Orca Fraud, demonstrated how quickly an unexpected career can emerge from solving a real-world problem.

Pillay studied mechatronics engineering before working in corporate technology and agritech, but it was her time in the payments space that exposed her to the scale of fraud first-hand. She and fellow engineer Carla Wilby went on to build Orca Fraud, which monitors transactions in real time to identify potentially fraudulent activity.

Her message to learners was that they do not need a perfectly mapped-out career. She encouraged them to stay curious, try things, build and share their work, ask for feedback, and explore what interests them before settling on a potential career.

### **A traditional career can be a foundation, not a limitation**

Attorney and digital creator Didi Karabo Khumalo offered a different perspective.

She deliberately pursued law as a profession, as it aligned with her strengths and could provide stability. But, while building her legal career, she continued exploring her interest in documenting her experiences and creating content. What began as a passion eventually developed into a commercially-viable career in the creator economy.

She didn’t position the creator economy as a possible replacement for education or traditional professions. Instead, she detailed how her experience and skills developed through law, including negotiation, critical thinking, relationship-building, and an understanding of contracts, was able to support her creator business.

Her advice was practical: understand what you are good at, explore your interests, and build skills that can be used in different settings. She said that in her opinion, academic results matter, but they are not the only measure of potential. She also encouraged learners to learn from people further along in their careers and to start before they have everything figured out.

### **Planning beyond professional sport**

The final conversation focused on professional sport, a dream career for many young people, but one that has a shorter timeline than most professions.

South African sports stars and Investec ambassadors – including Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe and Bafana Bafana’s Teboho Mokoena - spoke openly about earning money at a young age, developing saving habits, continuing their education, and planning for life after competition. Their advice was clear: invest in your education, start saving early, understand your money, and prepare for the future while you are still competing.

Paralympic gold medallist and three-time world record holder Mpumelelo Mhlongo joined the conversation in the studio. As an elite athlete pursuing a professional career and further academic study, he offered a clear view of the demands involved. He questioned the idea of perfect “balance” and argued for prioritisation: knowing what needs your attention at each stage, while continuing to build the education, skills and opportunities that will support your next chapter.

### **Preparing for possibility**

The three conversations pointed to a shared idea: career readiness is about preparing for possibilities rather than predicting a single destination.

A learner may become an entrepreneur and create a role that does not yet exist. A traditional qualification may become the foundation for a different career. A sporting career may lead into business, academia or another profession.

For learners facing more choices than ever, the question may be less about choosing one job and more about identifying what interests them, [building useful skills](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-06-the-future-of-work-preparing-teens-for-careers-that-dont-yet-exist), and staying ready to learn as the world changes.

Investec plans to continue this conversation beyond the live events on its Invest-ED platform, through newsletters, expert perspectives, and practical resources for learners, parents and guardians.

Watch a recording of the latest Invest-ED Live event [here.](https://youtu.be/CFOf080Tmx8?si=I1g_1iWv6DJiQEzp)

[Register](https://www.investec.com/en_za/welcome-to-investec/sustainability/our-community/invest-ed.html) for the Invest-ED programme and access the insights and resources to help you and your child navigate what comes next. **DM**