South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted Government’s ongoing efforts to reduce youth unemployment through structural reforms, infrastructure investment, and large-scale job-creation initiatives ahead of Youth Day commemorations to be held on Tuesday, June 16.
In his weekly newsletter issued on Monday, June 15, Ramaphosa said the state is advancing a broad economic transformation agenda aimed at improving competitiveness and expanding opportunities for young people. He noted that a second investment drive has secured about R890 billion in new commitments over the past year.
He cautioned, however, that the impact of these interventions would not be immediate, acknowledging that many young people continue to struggle to access work despite their qualifications and efforts to secure employment.
Ramaphosa said government is responding through a range of programmes designed to provide skills, work experience and income support. He cited the Presidential Employment Stimulus, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said has generated more than 2.5 million work and livelihood opportunities, with the majority benefiting young people and women.
He also pointed to the Basic Education Employment Initiative, which placed 200,000 unemployed youth in nearly 22,000 schools, and the Social Employment Fund, which offers part-time work in community-based development projects across sectors such as health, education, food security and environmental management.
The President further highlighted the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, including the SA Youth platform, which has enabled more than 5.7 million young people to access job opportunities and facilitated over 2.3 million earning opportunities to date.
Additional initiatives include the National Youth Service, which has placed over 132,000 young people in paid community service roles, the Youth Employment Service, providing structured workplace experience in the private sector, and the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, which ties training funding to actual job placements.
Ramaphosa said while many of these opportunities are temporary, they serve as critical stepping stones to long-term employment, entrepreneurship and further education, helping young people build skills, confidence and experience.
He acknowledged that the challenge of youth unemployment remains significant, calling for stronger collaboration across government, business and civil society to expand opportunities. “Let us together build a South Africa in which every young person finds their place in an inclusive economy and in a thriving society,” he said.