Yesterday the country celebrated Youth Day, but the situation for South Africa's youth is becoming increasingly dire. Youth unemployment in South Africa is a staggering 60.9 percent, which is only increased by the fact that the cost of living is expected to rise rapidly in 2026.
The best answer from the government in this regard is for the local youth to go out in search of opportunities and jobs. SA Youth.Mobi Platform Said to be the most viable option.
Addressing a crowd gathered for National Youth Day celebrations in Johannesburg, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the opportunities the platform has offered to date, with more than 2.5 million unemployed South Africans given the chance to access jobs, skills and entrepreneurship opportunities, as well as information on youth programmes.
“We are expanding public employment, youth services and workplace experience. More than 5.7 million youth are now registered on the SA Youth.Mobi platform. More than 2 million of these youth have accessed earning opportunities,” Ramaphosa said.
“Of these, 82 per cent were youth and 66 per cent were women. Through the pilot phase of the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, more than 9,000 youth have been enrolled and more than 7,200 have been successfully placed in employment. This shows the potential of training that is linked to employment opportunities,” he said, Per SA News.
Importantly, registration on SA Youth.mobi is completely free, the platform is also zero-rated in terms of data.
This is important, especially for unemployed youth, as connectivity is a notable barrier when it comes to looking for jobs.
The platform is also supported by a number of government-led initiatives, including the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, the Department of Employment and Labour, the Department of Higher Education and Training, the National Youth Development Agency, the Youth Employment Service (YES), and the Development Bank of South Africa.
As for the industries that will provide the most opportunities, Ramaphosa highlighted infrastructure-related industries. On this front, the government plans to invest R1 trillion in infrastructure over the next three years, saying the funding will create opportunities for youth in apprenticeships, artisan development, skills transfer and enterprise development.
“We are building and maintaining roads, dams, schools, hospitals, clinics, power lines, railway lines and port infrastructure. Our growth strategy focuses on sectors that create large-scale employment: manufacturing, mining beneficiation, digital infrastructure, agriculture, green industrialization, energy, logistics, critical minerals, tourism and the creative economy,” Ramaphosa said.
He concluded, “The Public Procurement Act gives us the opportunity to use the purchasing power of the state to support enterprises owned by young people, women and disabled people.”
Whether this is enough to adequately address the growing youth unemployment crisis facing our country remains to be seen, but SA Youth.Mobi appears to be the government’s best answer in helping young South Africans access opportunities.
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