Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli has called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector to expand employment opportunities for young South Africans.
Addressing the Youth Employment Service (YES) Strategy Session, held virtually on Friday, Mhlauli described youth unemployment as one of the country's most pressing challenges.
She noted that South Africa's young people possess the talent, resilience and creativity needed to drive economic growth but continue to face limited access to opportunities.
Mhlauli said government must focus on creating pathways that enable young people to realise their full potential.
"South Africans want a government that works for all, especially for young people, who make up almost 60% of our population. The challenge before us is therefore not whether our young people have potential; [it] is whether we are creating enough pathways for them to realise that potential,” the Deputy Minister said.
Mhlauli, who oversees the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), commended the YES programme for its contribution to youth employment, and urged government to draw lessons from its success as it seeks to scale up interventions nationwide.
She noted that YES has become the world's largest corporate-funded 12-month youth jobs programme, having created more than 228 000 employment opportunities for young people. The initiative is supported by more than 2 000 sponsoring companies and thousands of host businesses across South Africa.
According to Mhlauli, YES now accounts for the majority of demand-led opportunities within the broader Presidential Youth Employment Initiative ecosystem.
Beyond job creation, she said the programme has also played an important role in fostering entrepreneurship, with many participants going on to establish their own businesses after completing the programme.
"The success of YES demonstrates what is possible when we align incentives, focus on measurable outcomes and work together towards a common objective," she said.
Mhlauli highlighted the programme's technology-driven approach and robust monitoring systems, saying these have enabled YES to operate at scale while maintaining accountability and cost efficiency.
She also welcomed the programme's commitment to independent verification of outcomes, noting that third-party assessments enhance credibility and provide assurance to government, business and the public.
Despite the programme's achievements, Mhlauli warned that South Africa's youth unemployment crisis remains severe and requires urgent intervention.
Priority areas for action
To strengthen the country's response, she outlined five priority areas for action.
The first is making it easier for businesses to participate in youth employment programmes. She said government remains committed to implementing measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in the 2026 State of the Nation Address to introduce measures to make it easier for companies to participate in YES.
“As the Deputy Minister responsible for oversight of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, I intend to ensure that government honours this commitment.”
Secondly, Mhlauli said YES should play a more central role within the broader PYEI ecosystem, leveraging its deep relationships with the private sector.
Thirdly, she called for better alignment between private-sector investment commitments with youth employment outcomes, ensuring that business pledges translate into concrete opportunities for young people.
“We should work more closely together to ensure that a portion of these commitments is translated into concrete opportunities for young people through proven mechanisms such as YES,” Mhlauli said.
The fourth priority is strengthening pathways from education to employment, particularly for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college students, graduates and first-time job seekers.
She said workplace experience remains critical to improving employability and called for deeper partnerships between employers and educational institutions.
Finally, Mhlauli stressed the importance of evidence-based policymaking, urging all stakeholders to prioritise monitoring, evaluation and learning to ensure resources are directed towards programmes that deliver measurable results.
"The future of youth employment in South Africa will not be secured by government alone. Nor will it be secured by business alone. It will require a genuine partnership between government, the private sector, organised labour, civil society, and young people themselves," the Deputy Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
