South African Gen Zs and millennials are prioritising their happiness, survey finds

An annual survey by Deloitte has revealed that South African Gen Zs and Millennials are ditching traditional ways of doing things as they prioritise their happiness.

Now in its 14th year, the Gen Z and Millennial Survey has interviewed a total of 23 482 Gen Z and millennial respondents across 44 countries in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Of the 23 482 respondents, there were 512 from South Africa, comprising 304 Gen Z individuals and 208 millennials.

The interviews were conducted between October and December last year.

Gen Z is typically defined as someone born between 1997 and 2012, however, the Gen Z individuals interviewed for this survey were born between January 1995 and December 2006.

Millennials are born between 1981 and 1996, but the respondents for this survey were born between January 1983 and December 1994.

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Youth prioritising well-being

According to the survey, 97% of Gen Zs and the same percentage of millennials in South Africa consider a sense of purpose to be very or somewhat important for their job satisfaction and well-being.

Of the millennials, 73% say friends and family are the most critical factors in shaping their sense of identity. The number is 10% lower for Gen Zs.

In the working environment, 15% of Gen Zs and 20% of millennials in South Africa are no longer working in the industry or career path they originally intended.

The job market conditions and availability are the main reasons why Gen Zs (56%) and millennials (58%) change career paths.

Only 11% of millennials and 31% of Gen Zs change careers because they want more flexible hours.

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Education

Results indicate 23% of Gen Zs and 21% of millennials in South Africa say they decided not to pursue higher education.

Compared to the global numbers, Mzansi youth seem to have a greater appetite for education than their counterparts, as 31% of Gen Zs and 32% of millennials globally decided not to pursue higher education.

One of the biggest reasons why most South African youth do not pursue higher education is financial constraints. This applies to both Gen Z and millennials.

Finances are such a significant factor in South Africa that 60% of Gen Zs and 57% of millennials cited the high cost of tuition fees.

According to the survey, 30% of Gen Zs and 29% of millennials in South Africa say they have already completed GenAI training, while 46% of Gen Zs and 48% of millennials in say they plan to complete training within the next 12 months.

“As the case for GenAI gains traction and the race for investment in technology to enable business efficiency is in full swing, it is important to ask ourselves what the differentiators of business in the future will be,” said chief people officer at Deloitte Africa, Lungile Mahluza.

“Critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability and other soft capabilities may just be the differentiator. Organisations need to keep this in mind when developing workforce models for the future.”

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Big concerns

The biggest concern for South African youth is unemployment, with the cost of living following close behind.

Only 28% of Gen Zs are concerned with crime and personal safety, while millennials aged 30 and above are at 30%.

One of the stark differences between the two age groups is how Gen Z (18%) is more concerned about its generation’s mental health, while 22% of millennials are more concerned about corruption in business and politics.

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