The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) facilitated 294,530 earning opportunities for young people during the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, covering October to December 2025.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli announced the results in Cape Town on Wednesday, outlining progress across work experience, entrepreneurship and public service placements.
According to the report, more than 11,000 work experience opportunities were created through partnerships with higher education institutions and the private sector, while over 6,700 enterprise opportunities were supported through the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to bolster youth
entrepreneurship.
The revitalised National Youth Service has also expanded, with 132,784 young people placed in paid service opportunities to date. Mhlauli highlighted the continued rollout of the Jobs Boost Fund as a key milestone during the quarter. Currently in its pilot phase for the 2025/26 financial year, the fund incentivises skills providers to deliver targeted training and job-readiness programmes for previously excluded youth.
Over 9,170 Young people have enrolled in the programme, surpassing the annual target, with 7,200 already placed into employment. While describing the progress as encouraging, Mhlauli acknowledged that youth unemployment remains a significant national challenge, stressing the need for sustained partnerships, innovation and commitment to expand pathways to economic participation.