Caroline Shabalala, a new mother, will vote for the first time in the 2014 national elections but the 18-year-old does not know which party to support.
Shabalala was one of about 1000 Orange Farm residents who heard DA leader Helen Zille speak about unemployment and the youth wage subsidy at a rally in this south of Johannesburg township yesterday .
A recent survey shows that a majority of young black South Africans believe the DA would reinstate apartheid should it come to power in the next election.
Shabalala is not one of them, although she lives in a shack with four others - including her year-old daughter- failed matric twice and is not looking for work.
"Helen is actually going around into the houses. She is seeing how people are living in our conditions. When President Zuma came last year he just stood in one place."
The rally marked the first anniversary of the DA's youth wage subsidy march to Cosatu House, which was marred by violence.
Yesterday's rally was part of the "Know Your DA" campaign, launched last month.
"We are having more and more success connecting to members of the youth," Zille said.
"They can see our policies and they like them. I can never believe that anyone would think members of the DA, who fought very hard to end apartheid, would reinstate it."
Zille pledged to implement the youth wage subsidy in Gauteng should the DA win the province.
In Western Cape, where the subsidy was already being applied, unemployment was at 25%, whereas in Gauteng it stood at 38%, Zille said.
"The fact is that if the youth wage subsidy was implemented when it was first announced in President Zuma's 2010 State of the Nation speech, 440387 young South Africans would have already benefited from it by now," she said.
Mduduzi Msibi, 25, has a job as a security guard but has lost faith in the ruling party.
"Tomorrow, if I join the DA, I might get something. It's going to help young people to gain a nice life and job experiences. I see now the ANC has nothing to offer us."
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