Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on businesses and other public sector entities to use SAYouth.mobi to provide more pathways for young people to earn and learn.
According to South African Government News Agency, in his weekly newsletter, the President reflected on the country’s observance of Youth Day on 16 June, paying tribute to the generations of young people who continue to inspire the pursuit of social justice, equality, and opportunity for all. He emphasized the need for the private sector to employ all available mechanisms, including the Employee Tax Incentive, to hire young people.
The President highlighted the pressing issue of youth unemployment, noting that it deprives many young South Africans of living dignified lives. He urged both government and business sectors to collaborate and leverage their resources to empower young people to secure jobs and create their own opportunities. He stressed the importance of investing in the current generation to unleash their potential and fulfill the democratic promise for which many sacrificed their lives.
President Ramaphosa pointed out that, like many parts of the world, South Africa is grappling with high youth unemployment. To tackle this challenge, he advocated for a comprehensive approach that includes investing in education and skills development, fostering youth entrepreneurship, and implementing targeted employment programs focusing on young people.
As part of the government’s efforts, the Presidential Employment Stimulus and the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention were established. These initiatives have provided opportunities to hundreds of thousands of young people, especially when there is a shortage of jobs to absorb new entrants into the labor market. Since its inception in 2020, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has created over two million jobs and livelihood opportunities, with 72% of participants being young people and 66% women.
A key component of the government’s youth empowerment strategy is the SAYouth.mobi platform. It serves as a single point for unemployed young South Africans to access work, training, and learning opportunities. Currently, over 4.7 million young people are registered on the SAYouth platform and the Department of Employment and Labour’s employment services database. Through these platforms, young people have accessed over 1.6 million earning opportunities.
President Ramaphosa shared a recent interaction in the City of Tshwane, where young individuals expressed excitement about being approached by potential employers who viewed their profiles on SAYouth.mobi. He encouraged young job-seekers to utilize this recruitment platform, highlighting its free registration and zero-rated data charges.
The President also noted the government’s focus on providing workplace experience and on-the-job training. He acknowledged young people’s frustration with employers’ experience requirements, which often serve as barriers to entry. In response, the government abolished the work experience requirement for entry-level public sector jobs in 2019. Additionally, the Youth Employment Service, in collaboration with the private sector, has placed thousands of young people in workplace experience opportunities across various economic sectors.
Ramaphosa emphasized the need to address the mismatch between workforce skills and market needs. To this end, the government is investing in vocational training, increasing funding for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, and providing subsidies for new campuses. This investment aims to place thousands of learners and graduates into workplace experience opportunities annually.
The President also highlighted the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial culture, as entrepreneurship is a key economic growth driver. However, South Africa’s entrepreneurial activity rates are relatively low compared to other countries. To address this, the government is working to create an enabling environment for young people to become self-employed. The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention collaborates with the National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development to offer financial and non-financial support to young entrepreneurs.
Through these initiatives, the state has supported millions of young South Africans with work opportunities, experience, and skills development. However, President Ramaphosa stressed that scaling up youth employment requires greater involvement from the private sector.