South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis has reached alarming proportions, with the deputy president, Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, warning that urgent, innovative interventions are needed to break the cycle.

Speaking as chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) at its meeting at the Gallagher Convention Centre on August 21, Mashatile stressed that millions of young people remain ‘locked out’ of both jobs and education, posing a grave risk to the nation’s future.

Read more: Professional skills workshop empowers varsity college future teachers

“We must acknowledge that the crisis of youth unemployment is particularly severe among young people not in employment, education, or training—the NEET (not in employment, education, or training) cohort,” he said. “The future of the youth of South Africa is in our hands, and we must be radical in securing it.”

According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa, more than 3.5m young people aged 15–24 fall into the NEET category. Even more concerning, over half of them have been searching for work for more than a year, highlighting the deep-rooted barriers facing the country’s youth.

Mashatile reminded council members that the overall unemployment rate has climbed again to 33.2%, with the burden falling hardest on young people, women, and marginalised groups.

He urged the HRDC—a multi-stakeholder advisory body of government, business, labour, and civil society—to lead with innovation, skills development, and economic inclusion.

During the meeting, the Presidency and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator outlined measures under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention Programme, which aims to cut youth unemployment by 10–20% by 2030.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) also presented on its initiatives, while stakeholders discussed a digital skills ecosystem designed to connect young people to jobs in South Africa’s growing digital economy.

“We must refocus our curriculum and skills development programmes to align with industry, economic, and social needs. As technology advances exponentially, today’s skills may become obsolete tomorrow. We must encourage continuous personal and professional development,” said Mashatile.

He concluded by calling on all sectors of society to join forces in tackling the crisis, saying only collective action will safeguard opportunities for South Africa’s next generation.

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