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South Africa’s youth are navigating a labour market fraught with structural inequalities, economic volatility, and rapid technological change. According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) for Q1:2025, youth unemployment is hovering around 46.1% and the expanded rate among those aged 18–34 is as alarming. The urgency to rethink employability strategies has never been greater. This is not just a crisis of jobs, it’s a crisis of identity, inclusion, and future potential.
Globally, youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, with young people facing rates three to four times higher than adults. Yet, international best practices offer a roadmap for South Africa to reimagine youth employability, not as a reactive policy issue, but as a proactive national imperative. The OECD’s Youth Policy Toolkit, for instance, emphasises that governments should adopt inclusive and equitable strategies, addressing diverse youth needs. In South Africa, however, many young people with matric, TVET qualifications, or even university degrees remain unemployed. This disconnect between education and employment highlights the need to redefine employability as a dynamic set of competencies, not static credentials.
Employability is no longer defined by qualifications alone. It is about capability, adaptability, and relevance. The ability to learn continuously, to pivot in response to market shifts, and to contribute meaningfully to teams and organisations is now the currency of the modern workforce. Young people must be equipped not only with technical skills but also with the soft skills that enable collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership.
One of the most powerful enablers of employability is experience. According to Stats SA, youth with workplace experience are four times more likely to transition into employment than those without. This “experience dividend” emphasises the importance of internships, apprenticeships, volunteer work, and participation in the gig economy. Experiential learning must be embedded into the education system and supported by both public and private sectors. The International Labour Organization (ILO) recommends active labour market programmes that combine job search support, wage subsidies, and public employment initiatives. These programmes must be scaled and localised to reflect the realities of South African youth, particularly those in rural and peri-urban areas.
Digital fluency of youth
In today’s economy, digital fluency is foundational. More than 90% of jobs globally require digital skills, yet many young South Africans lack access to devices, the internet, and structured digital education. UNESCO defines digital skills as the ability to create, communicate, collaborate, and solve problems using digital tools. These are not just technical abilities; they are enablers of economic participation and social inclusion. The European Commission’s DigComp Framework offers a model for assessing and developing digital competencies across five areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem solving. For South African youth to compete globally, there is an urgent need for investment in digital infrastructure, teacher training, and community-based digital literacy programmes, especially in underserved communities.
Youth entrepreneurship is also emerging as a powerful lever for employment. In South Africa, small and medium enterprises are often the first to take a chance on young people, offering mentorship and skills transfer. Globally, digital transformation enables youth to launch ventures with minimal capital, leveraging mobile networks, social media, and cloud-based tools. Entrepreneurship is not just about starting businesses; it’s about cultivating problem-solving skills, resilience, innovation, and leadership. The ILO recommends supporting youth-led local solutions, especially in high-growth sectors like the green economy, creative industries, and digital services. South Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem must be more accessible to young people through targeted funding, incubation hubs, and mentorship networks.
Call to Action
Youth employability is not evenly distributed. Young women face higher unemployment and lower absorption rates than men. Rural youth are disproportionately excluded due to poor infrastructure, limited transport, and a lack of mentorship. Policy responses must be intersectional, addressing gender, geography, and socio-economic status.
International frameworks offer valuable lessons and are a blueprint. The EU Youth Guarantee ensures that every young person receives a job, education, or training offer within four months of unemployment. The OECD Youth Policy Toolkit provides practical guidance for designing inclusive youth policies, focusing on monitoring and evaluation. UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative promotes digital skills and entrepreneurship through public-private partnerships. South Africa’s Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) is a cross-sector effort to combat youth unemployment and cultivate sustainable earning opportunities for young people from all walks of life.
Corporate South Africa must move beyond compliance to active inclusion. This means transforming leadership demographics, creating youth-friendly hiring pipelines, and investing in mentorship and incubation programmes.
Civil society organisations like Lulaway and Ilitha Labantu are already connecting youth to employers, offering work readiness training and advocating systemic reform. Programmes like the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) full-time Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration equips young graduates with business acumen and the skills to kickstart their careers, making them more employable. Employability is not just about external opportunities; it’s about internal readiness. Young people must cultivate a growth mindset, characterised by curiosity, resilience, and confidence. They must learn to navigate uncertainty, embrace feedback, and celebrate progress. As one youth leader put it, “Young people are not just the future, they will build the path we all walk down.” This mindset shift is essential. It transforms young people from passive recipients of opportunity to active architects of their own futures.
Boosting youth employability in South Africa is not a solo endeavour; it’s a collective responsibility. Government, business, academia, and civil society must co-create an ecosystem where young people are not just employable but empowered. This means investing in skills that matter, experiences that count, networks that support, and policies that include. The stakes are high. But so is the potential. South Africa’s youth are resilient, creative, and ready. It’s time we meet them with the opportunities they deserve. DM
Learn more about the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) full-time Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration.