Businessmen urge youth to take charge and address joblessness
Business leaders delivered a tough-love message to unemployed youth in Alexandra, urging them to stop waiting for the government to create jobs, and to seize opportunities for themselves.
Unemployment is one of the biggest issues facing our country today, and the youth of Alexandra are as affected by it as anyone. Two business leaders, who were part of the City of Johannesburg’s Youth Empowerment Summit held on June 13, are challenging young people to take charge and act.
They acknowledged the worsening issue of youth unemployment, which stood at a staggering 46.1% in the first quarter of 2025, according to Statistics South Africa’s quarterly labour force survey.
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Neo Kuaho, from Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development, said the alarming unemployment rate necessitates self-empowerment. “Nobody is coming to save you when it comes to employment. That is the reality young people need to accept. Once you do, you stop waiting, and you start building.” He said, while government initiatives exist, relying on the state to create employment opportunities is the worst thing young people can do.
Speaking on the argument of foreign nationals taking up entrepreneurship opportunities, Kuaho did not mince words. “They did not take spaces from us. We left those corners empty, saying: ‘We cannot sell here, people will judge me’. The reality is, if we do not take up space, someone else will.”
Founder of Thabo IT ERA Solutions Thabo Lingalebalela echoed the same sentiments, emphasising that youth people live in a world where people compete for available opportunities.
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“Do not feel entitled to favours and opportunities. Other people need them just as much. Motivate and encourage yourself. Everyone is looking for employment. Maybe it is time you became the boss who creates jobs.”
Both Kuaho and Lingalebalela stated that young people should realise that it is their responsibility to tackle youth unemployment by empowering themselves, and emphasised that they should not just wait for the government to create opportunities.
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