As South Africa observes Youth Month, the government has reported significant progress in its efforts to bridge the gap between young people and economic participation, with flagship programmes facilitating more than 2.36 million earning opportunities since inception.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, announced the milestones while supporting the Presidency’s Budget Vote in the National Assembly, emphasizing that access—not ability—remains the primary barrier for youth entering the labour market.
“South Africans are asking for work that can be seen, felt and trusted. Essentially, South Africans want a government that works for all, especially its young people who constitute 59% of the country’s total population,” Mhlauli stated.
Measurable Impact Through Coordinated Programmes
The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), launched in 2020, continues to drive tangible results. In the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year alone, the initiative facilitated 294,530 new earning opportunities. To date, more than 5.77 million young people have registered on the SA Youth digital platform, with over 70% of placements benefiting young women—a strategic focus aimed at redressing historical gender disparities.
Complementary initiatives are amplifying this impact:
- Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund exceeded quarterly targets, enrolling 9,170 youth and successfully placing more than 7,200 into sustainable employment.
- Revitalised National Youth Service has placed 132,784 young people in paid community service roles, with an additional 100,000 opportunities currently accessible via SA Youth.Mobi.
- Youth Employment Service (YES), a private-sector partnership coordinated through the Presidency, has created over 228,000 jobs. Notably, 60% of participants transitioned into full-time employment post-programme, while 17% launched their own enterprises with programme support.
“These are not just numbers—they represent real pathways from learning to earning,” Mhlauli remarked. “At a time when youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s greatest challenges, these programmes stand as evidence that targeted government action, in partnership with the private sector, can make a meaningful difference.”
Broader Socio-Economic Progress Contextualises Gains
The Deputy Minister contextualised employment interventions within wider national development indicators cited in Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey:
- Life expectancy at birth has risen from 55.2 years in 2002 to nearly 67 years in 2025.
- 84% of households now reside in formal dwellings, with majority homeownership.
- Access to basic services has expanded significantly: 94.9% of households have electricity, and 87.4% have piped water—representing 8.1 million additional households since 2002.
- Education participation remains robust, with 96.6% of children engaged in schooling by age 15. Over half (52.9%) of South African adults now hold a Grade 12 qualification or higher, and 1.9 million students were enrolled in public higher education institutions in 2024.
Call to Action for Youth Participation
Mhlauli urged young South Africans aged 18 to 35 to actively engage with available platforms and programmes. “The door to opportunity is open,” she said. “We call on our youth to register on SA Youth, apply for opportunities through the National Youth Service, and leverage partnerships like YES to gain skills, experience, and economic agency.”
As Youth Month commemorates the legacy of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, the government reaffirmed its commitment to honouring that legacy not only through remembrance, but through concrete, scalable interventions that empower the next generation to lead, innovate, and thrive in South Africa’s economy.