France, May 26 -- Amid a deepening social and economic crisis, young South Africans are demanding urgent action to reduce corruption, create jobs and improve basic needs and services.

Three-quarters of people aged 18 to 24 say their confidence in the nation's future direction has plummeted - and they intend to hold the next government to account.

Those are the results of a survey by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, an NGO in Johannesburg that interviewed 1,000 people from this demographic across South Africa.

Young people will form the next generation of leaders who are about to emerge and make deep changes, the foundation's founder and chairman, Ivor Ichikowitz, told RFI.

"I believe they will play a huge role in the election and in...