Although 3.9m unemployed people in South Africa have given up on looking for work, according to Statistics South Africa’s recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey, young people in Alexandra facing the same grim circumstances are refusing to surrender to hopelessness.

As others woke up to go to work on Tuesday, these determined job seekers rose to hunt for opportunities.

Under the SA Job Seekers’ 42nd Imisebenzi Yethu door-to-door campaign, they carried their CVs and qualifications directly to the doorsteps of businesses in the Wynberg precinct, bypassing the often daunting and impersonal online application processes.

Read more: Watch: Jobs Seekers’ Movement campaigns to tackle rising unemployment in Alexandra and surrounds

Mzwandile Mvemve, who joined about a 100 young people in the search, spoke of the deep toll joblessness has taken on Alex residents. “People have children they have to support. They are constantly met with challenges. They cannot even support themselves because of joblessness,” Mvemve said.

The movement’s spokesperson, Mthokozisi Khambule, said that for the first few months of the year, they worked behind the scenes with partners, attempting to place long-term job seekers. But on Tuesday, they set aside the phone lines and left their workspaces to knock directly on employers’ doors in Wynberg.

“We engaged with one company about three times, but they do not want to come to the table,” Khambule noted, adding that today they were determined to stand outside companies until they engage with them.

This has become their method of drawing attention from employers in the surrounding business precincts.

Founder, Mush Raletjena, revealed that their goal is to ensure that job seekers in the community benefit from the nearby economic activities.

“For companies located in or near the community, 60% of the labour force must come from the community or adjacent communities, meaning the immediate township.”

Also read: Jobs seekers clash with security at Linbro Business Park

While the movement continues to draw strong support from hundreds of desperate young people in need of jobs, naysayers have questioned its methods and long-term impact.

Some critics, who joined similar campaigns, said they did not secure jobs as they had hoped.

Khambule pushed back against the criticism, noting that breaking into the country’s labour market, which, according to recent statistics, has shed more than 345 000 jobs in the first quarter of 2026, requires persistent effort.

He estimated that their campaigns have already placed hundreds of young people in employment since 2017, although the exact figures have been hard to track over the years.

Dumisani Nkosi, chairperson of the Ziyakhala Movement, said they intend to fight for people in Alexandra, even if it means getting youth into the labour market one person at a time. “Even if a single person gets employed, I would be happy,” he said.

Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!