Youth unemployment, a crisis in South Africa

As South Africa marks Youth Day, the youth in the country face unemployment, violence, limited access to mental health care and inequality in education.

During an address this week at the SA Youth Engagement hosted by the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator in Johannesburg, deputy president Paul Mashatile said in South Africa, youth unemployment has reached crisis levels.

"The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey data delivered its bleakest message that the expanded youth unemployment among young people aged 18–34 years has, in the first quarter of 2025, reached one of its highest points ever at 56.3%.

"This is a continuation of the downward spiral trend that began in 2015 and was only interrupted by an even steeper fall during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Mashatile said there were 9.2 million young people in the country who were not in education, employment, or training.

"Even more shockingly, this number is set to increase by approximately 600 000 annually. With the economy projected to grow only at 1.8%, we must accept that the formal economy is not growing at the rate required to absorb the large number of youth entering the labour market annually.

"As part of a solution to this challenge, youth who are not in employment, education, or training should consider entrepreneurship as a viable pathway for employment and self-reliance," said Mashatile.

He said the government's National Development Plan: Vision 2030, places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and small businesses as crucial drivers of economic growth and job creation.

"We need to collaborate to change the mentality of young people by bringing to light opportunities that are available for those who choose to pursue entrepreneurship.

"Government offers various programmes to support young entrepreneurs, including financial assistance, business development services, and skills training. Key initiatives include the National Youth Development Agency’s Grant Programme, and the Youth Challenge Fund," he said.

Previn Vedan, a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Community Youth Centre, said today’s youth face a convergence of crises, from rising unemployment, violence, limited access to mental healthcare, inequality in education and a digital economy that often leaves the township and rural youth behind.

"But they are not without tools. They are connected, expressive, creative and if resourced, they can be unstoppable.

"At the Nelson Mandela Chatsworth Youth Centre we have seen firsthand what happens when youth are not just spoken to but invested in. From skills development to sports, counselling to career guidance, the centre stands as a hub of empowerment in one of the most complex urban spaces in KwaZulu-Natal. Our mission is not charity, it is justice. And our work continues to grow because young people continue to show up," he said.

Vedan, who became disabled at the age of 29, after surviving a brutal attack, said he has seen how youth with disabilities, foreign nationals, and others who live on the margins of society were often excluded from the mainstream youth agenda.

"If we want a just and vibrant youth movement, we must build spaces that affirm every kind of identity and ability - from the ground up.

"Government alone will not save our youth. NGOs alone will not save our youth. Even inspiration alone will not save our youth. We need a generation that stops waiting. We need young people who will claim their space, who will start something, even if it is small, who will fail forward and ask for help without shame, who will create opportunities, not just scroll through them," said Vedan.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) is urging government departments to prioritise the implementation of youth-targeted strategies such as the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative and Labour Activation Programmes.

In a statement the PSA said whilst young South Africans remain one of the country’s major assets, they face systemic barriers that threaten their ability to thrive.

"Thousands of young graduates remain unemployed with no use of their valuable skills, which should be used to assist the country to grow its economy using new ideas, creativity and innovation."

The PSA further added that the unemployment crisis and desperation contribute to many societal issues, including rising crime rates, substance abuse, gender-based violence, mental-health challenges, and high dropout rates from secondary and tertiary education.

"Deteriorating service delivery in many communities exacerbates the challenges facing young people as they often experience a lack of access to quality education and health services. There is further inadequate support in respect of skills development, career guidance, and financing for higher education.

"On Youth Day, the PSA calls on all sectors of South African society to join forces in dismantling structural barriers faced by young people."

SUNDAY TRIBUNE