The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa has reported a magical stride in cutting youth unemployment through the Presidential Youth Empowerment Intervention (PYEI).
South African youth between the ages of 15 and 34 have been struggling with an unemployment rate of 45.5 per cent, with the national average standing at 32.9 per cent. The rate of youth not being active job seekers is estimated at 12.3% and 7.4%.
Nonceba Mhlauli, South African Deputy Minister in the Presidency, reports that 4.78 million youths are registered in the National Pathway Management Network, while 1.67 million secured opportunities, five years since the PYEI program’s inception in 2020.
“Our latest quarterly report confirms that over 4.78 million young people are now registered on the National Pathway Management Network, with more than 1.67 million earning opportunities secured to date,” Mhlauli tells the press on Tuesday.
The minister asserts that 76,569 opportunities are recorded in the fourth quarter from January to March 2025. She says 60,444 job opportunities were created through the South African Youth and 16,125 through the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA).
In 2024, South Africa was ranked the second country in youth unemployment, with 60.9 per cent of the youth between the ages of 15-24 years, while Djibouti topped the list with 76.3 per cent.
Eswatini was in third place with a 58.2 per cent youth unemployment rate, Libya in fourth place with 49.5 per cent, and Kosovo in fifth place with 48.8 per cent.
