Here’s how many young job applicants are failing to attend interviews due to transport costs

The desperate fight for jobs is being made increasingly harder for willing employees who cannot afford to compete.

A 2026 job seekers report showed that one in every three candidates invited for an interview could not afford to attend, while only one employee was hired for every 750 applications submitted.

The report, compiled by Jobjack and based on a survey conducted in September and October and data compiled between 1July 2025 and 31 July 2026, revealed the obstacles faced by retail and entry-level jobseekers.

Jobjack, a FIT-based hiring system based in Cape Town, illustrated how current hiring techniques were costing job hunters while clogging recruitment inboxes.

Meanwhile, a pro-youth policy advocacy group explained what was needed to get the youth closer to the doors of employment.

Jobseeking costs crushing dreams

Jobjack stated that it had analysed 4.9 million job applications sent by 867 700 users with an average age of 24, with only 6 566 of those applications resulting in appointments.

Of the more than 5 000 survey respondents, 48% had been searching for a job for more than a year and 28% had to walk to areas of prospective employment.

Even before the interview, jobseekers were at a disadvantage, as 36% of those who missed their interviews did so because they could not afford the transport cost.

A total of 78% of the interviewees who did not show up did so due to personal obstacles.

Submitting CVs was costing an average of R500 in transport and printing costs, with those who did find jobs spending up to 30% of their earnings on transport.

“Cancelling an interview is not a decision. It’s an outcome from a set of circumstances. It’s our responsibility as employers to fix the holes in the pressure cooker pot of South Africa’s potential.

“We need to be critical about the barriers and perceptions around employment that are adding to the holes in our pot,” stated Jobjack co-founder and CEO Heine Bellingan.

He highlighted these holes as transport costs, data-sapping application portals, the need to print CVs and supporting docs, job scams, and “hiring blindly”.

Loss of resources for employers

Bellingan said the cost of keeping a job was contributing to a 40% self-reported annual churn of frontline staff and a loss of time and resources for employers.

“Paying this much to get to work works like a pay cut, and it becomes a pressure point that can decide whether someone can afford to clock in.

“Job seekers can’t fix your hiring process; you have to fix it. At the end of the day, you don’t build a business, you build people and people build a business,” stated the Jobjack CEO.

At least 82% of jobseekers listed growth as a primary concern when accepting a job, far ahead of salary and location, listed by 37% and 38% of respondents, respectively.

For those who decide to leave a job – even without another opportunity – 16% did so for family reasons, 12% because of transport, 8% due to health concerns and 14% because they disliked their manager.

“By the time someone arrives for their first day, some of the most important decisions have already been made.

“There’s more to it than just recruitment: When you invest in people, you invest in your business,” said Bellingan

Work experience conundrum

Youth Capital Project Lead Buhlebethu Magwaza noted that the youth advocacy group’s research showed the youth spent up to R1 400 per month job hunting.

She said that as the R370 Social Relief of Distress Grant covered only a quarter of that, there needed to be subsidised transportation for job hunters, investment in employment hubs and free printing and application services.

Additionally, Jobjack’s report noted that those with previous work experience were 11 times more likely to be hired.

Magwaza elaborated on the age-old conundrum of needing work experience for a position, while being unable to get a job to earn experience.

“Public employment programmes can play an important role by providing paid work experience, practical skills and references that improve young people’s prospects.

“The goal should not just be to give young people their first opportunity, but to ensure that opportunity opens doors to future employment,” Magwaza told The Citizen.

The project lead added that solving the youth employment crisis was going to take a collaborative effort.

“We need stronger partnerships between training institutions, government and employers to create clearer pathways into employment.

“We also need to expand public employment programmes that create paid opportunities closer to where young people live, reducing transport costs while providing income and work experience,” Magwaza said.

‘Trapped in a cycle’

Magwaza advised on how both jobhunters and employers could make the process less stressful.

“Young people should consider opportunities that offer meaningful work experience, practical skills, references, and networks that could improve their future employment prospects.

“The important thing is that these opportunities lead to further employment, learning or other opportunities, rather than leaving young people trapped in a cycle of temporary work.

For employers, Magwaza urged companies to be more humane with their rejected applicants.

“Young people often spend money on applications, assessments, and interviews, only to receive no response from employers.

“This can be deeply discouraging. Hiring practices such as unrealistic experience requirements for entry-level positions, lengthy recruitment processes, and poor communication make matters worse.

“We must recognise that youth unemployment is a structural challenge, and improving recruitment practices must go hand in hand with creating more paid work opportunities,” Magwaza concluded.