“More people are struggling to find work, and opportunities are becoming fewer,” said Mush Raletjena, the founder and leader of the SA Job Seekers Movement, reflecting on the daily struggles he witnesses in Alexandra.

For years, Raletjena has been at the forefront of community efforts to support job seekers. Speaking to Alex News after the release of the recent unemployment statistics, he said the situation on the ground was getting noticeably worse.

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He noted that his organisation received more than 20 CVs and WhatsApp requests for help every day from residents of Alexandra who are caught in a demoralising loop of sending applications into silence, refreshing empty inboxes, and coping with the emotional strain of prolonged unemployment.
Raletjena’s frontline view is supported by the latest data from Statistics South Africa. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q1 2026 shows the national unemployment rate rising to 32.7% from 31.4% in the previous quarter. During this period, the economy lost 345 000 jobs, increasing the total number of unemployed South Africans to 8.1m

Young people, according to Stats SA, are suffering the most. The unemployment rate for those aged 15–24 has reached 60.9%, while 40.6% of South Africans aged 25–34 are unemployed. Raletjena believes systemic barriers in the job market are a major factor behind these figures.

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“Unemployment in South Africa is largely a systemic challenge. My main concern is that the job market is not fair to South African job seekers. Many opportunities seem more accessible to non-South Africans, while local youth continue to struggle despite being qualified and willing to work,” he explained.
He said long periods of unsuccessful job hunting have left many residents feeling despondent and emotionally exhausted. However, the SA Job Seekers Movement continues pushing forward with its Imisebenzi Yethu door-to-door campaigns. These initiatives aim to connect job seekers directly with opportunities, offer practical guidance, and help restore hope in communities where it has been fading.

Furthermore, Raletjena said they believed that the solution to the ailing unemployment crisis could lie in unbundling the Department of Employment and Labour into two separate departments. “This would allow each department to focus more effectively on employment creation and labour protection,” he said, adding that he believes this will significantly reduce the unemployment rate. “It is possible, but it requires structural change and political will.”

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