SA’s youth unemployment crisis can become an opportunity

When it recently emerged that nearly 200 000 young people had applied for about 5 500 police jobs, it became clear that South Africa is battling a severe youth unemployment crisis.

This surge in applications indicates many young people seeking employment are in a desperate situation.

They are not just a statistic. They represent a generation facing lost opportunity, growing despair and a diminished future.

The country’s long-standing struggle with joblessness among its youth has been made worse by a sluggish economy, the lingering effects of the Covid pandemic, rapid technological change and a persistent mismatch between the education system and labour market demands.

For many young South Africans, the job search feels like a dead end. Graduates send out hundreds of CVs that get no response.

Those without tertiary education are even worse off, often lacking the skills needed for the limited jobs available.

Employers, meanwhile, are hesitant to hire individuals with no experience, creating a vicious cycle.

The roots of this crisis are deep. The South African education system, despite reforms, continues to produce many school leavers who lack the skills required for the modern economy.

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In addition, access to opportunity remains highly unequal, with rural and township youth facing the added barriers of poor infrastructure, limited transport and digital exclusion.

Furthermore, the private sector has struggled to absorb the growing number of job seekers.

Economic growth has been too slow to create sufficient employment opportunities and many small and medium-sized enterprises that could create jobs are constrained by red tape, lack of funding and limited market access.

Meanwhile, young people with entrepreneurial ambitions often lack access to startup capital, mentorship, or platforms to showcase their ideas.

Despite the scale of the problem, there are clear and actionable solutions.

First, education reform must be a priority. Schools and training institutions must equip pupils with future-facing skills required by our economy.

Greater collaboration between government, industry and nongovernmental organisations to design curriculums that respond to real economic needs.

Second, practical work experience must be integrated into the transition from school to work.

Learnerships, apprenticeships and internships – especially paid ones – are critical to giving youth a foothold in the job market.

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Government can support this by offering incentives to businesses that hire and train young people, particularly in growth sectors like agriculture, construction, technology and renewable energy.

Third, the culture of entrepreneurship must be cultivated and supported. Young people must be encouraged to create jobs.

This requires a functioning support ecosystem: access to finance, training in business development and mentorship.

Institutions like the National Youth Development Agency need to be more visible, better funded and easier to access.

Fourth, rural development must not be ignored. By investing in infrastructure such as roads, electricity, internet connectivity and local enterprise hubs, South Africa can unlock employment opportunities in areas that have long been economically marginalised.

Finally, greater coordination between public and private stakeholders is needed.

Initiatives like the Youth Employment Service and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator have shown progress is possible when sectors work together.

These models should be scaled up and embedded in a broader national strategy for youth employment. The cost of inaction is high.

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Prolonged youth unemployment fuels poverty, social unrest, substance abuse and crime.

It erodes trust in institutions and dampens economic productivity.

But if addressed head-on, the crisis could instead become a powerful opportunity.

South Africa has a young population full of potential, creativity and drive.

With the right support, they can become the engine of the country’s growth and renewal.

South African youth are not asking for handouts, they are asking for a chance.

The country must respond, not with promises, but with bold, coordinated and sustained action.

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