The Minister of Employment and Labour, Nkosazana Meth, has announced that the government aims to create one million job placements
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The Minister of Employment and Labour, Nkosazana Meth, has announced that the government aims to create one million job placements, most of them for young people, by 2030.
This comes as South Africa continues to grapple with rising unemployment. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa, the national unemployment rate has climbed to 33.2%, with young people being the hardest hit.
In a parliamentary response to questions posed by Economic Freedom Fighter MP Mbali Dlamini, the minister acknowledged that youth unemployment in the country was a growing crisis that can no longer be ignored.
"Youth unemployment remains one of many stubborn challenges our country has. It is for that reason that it is placed up on top of the action priority list," Meth said.
"It is because it calls for urgent attention. We also know that if we tackle it successfully benefits that will accrue from that will place the country on upward economic trajectory".
She noted that over 1.57 million youth have already been placed in earning opportunities through various government employment programmes under the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI).
Meth also pointed to South Africa’s role in securing international support for the Nelson Mandela Bay Goal on Youth Employment, adopted at the G20 Ministerial Employment Working Group. The goal seeks to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) by 5% by 2030.
"The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), we have introduced the Labour Activation Program (LAP), with an allocated budget of R10.98 billion in the 2025/26 financial year to create more than 240,000 job placements.
"Fourthly, as part of the 2025/2026 - 2029/2030 Strategic Plan, the Department aims to place 1 million people into jobs through the Public Employment Services Branch (350 000) and other DEL entities; and the National Pathway Management Network or its successor the South African Youth Trust (650 000). The majority of these participants will be youth".
The Minister added that 20,000 interns would be recruited over four years to assist Labour Inspectors in enforcing compliance with workplace legislation.
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