from the leader's desk
21 may 2026
Dear South African,
South Africa's unemployment crisis demands greater urgency and ambition from a national unity government. Where reforms such as energy, logistics, water, infrastructure delivery and commercialization of public services are already underway, they should be accelerated. Where old ideological barriers still stand in the way of development, they should be removed.
In his newsletter this week, President Ramaphosa gave a glowing report of another investment gathering, referencing recent business forums in Brazil and Spain, the sixth South Africa Investment Conference and the infrastructure investment summit hosted by BlackRock last week. He argues that these conferences are turning commitments into jobs. But last week, Stats SA showed that 350,000 more people were unemployed this quarter than the previous quarter.
So there is no shortage of investment conferences in South Africa. But there is a huge shortage of jobs in it.
When President Ramaphosa took office in 2018, the national unemployment rate stood at approximately 26,7%. The unemployment rate now stands at 32.7%, representing 8.1 million unemployed individuals.
Years of investment pledges, presidential conferences, economic recovery plans, social agreements and repeated promises that job creation is just around the corner have not resulted in job creation.
For too long, the national government has talked warmly about investment while presiding over an economy that makes investment more difficult than expected. Businesses are asked to invest in a country where ports do not function properly, rail is unreliable, crime is out of control, many municipalities are failing and electricity remains very expensive and unreliable.
The result of this is visible in the jobs figures. South Africa's unemployment crisis remains one of the deepest in the world. Millions of people are not only unemployed, they have also been deprived of the dignity, discipline and hope that work brings. Young South Africans in particular are being asked to believe in a future that the ANC has not been able to create.
The contradiction is obvious in our own country.
While the ANC governs at the national level, South Africa's economy has stagnated and unemployment remains devastatingly high. In ANC-run provinces, weak governance, failing municipalities, poor infrastructure maintenance and corruption have made it difficult for businesses to grow and for people to find work.
But where the DA rules, a different reality is evident.
The Western Cape has one of the lowest unemployment rates in South Africa, at around 20% compared to the national average of 32.7%. Cape Town is outperforming other metropolises in job creation, investment in infrastructure, service delivery and investor confidence. These results are not accidental. They are the result of choices.
Where DA governs, we focus on the basics: clean government, reliable services, working infrastructure, fast approvals, safe communities, support for small businesses, and a serious partnership with the private sector.
In Cape Town, we are investing in infrastructure at record levels, especially in communities that have historically been left behind. We are working to make the city more energy secure. We are expanding water and sanitation investments. We are improving roads, public transport systems and public spaces. We're making it easier to create, easier to do business and easier to invest.
This is what converts investor confidence into jobs. Because when the government works, jobs are created.
The DA-led national government will fix ports and rail so exporters can move goods efficiently. We will open the energy market rapidly. We will hand over more policing powers to capable local governments so that crime does not continue to destroy businesses and communities. We will cut red tape for small businesses. We will expedite planning and environment clearance without compromising public interest. We will make it easier for youth to get their first job. We will professionalize the public service and end cadre deployment. Just like the DA has done where he already rules.
We are a party of work and economic development. We judge every policy against a simple test: will it make it easier for South Africans to find work, start businesses, invest, build, trade and prosper?
While the ANC offers conferences, pledges and bromides. The DA has a record of delivery where we govern and a reform agenda for the country.
South Africa's problems run deep and many of them took years to form. But the DA has shown that decline is not inevitable. Better government gives better results. The evidence is already visible in places where the DA rules.
Best wishes,
Jordyn Hill-Lewis, federal leader, DA