Category: Africa

Ahead of Youth Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is pressing ahead with structural reforms, infrastructure investment and targeted job-creation programmes to drive inclusive growth and reduce youth unemployment.

In his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said government is investing in a massive infrastructure programme and implementing far-reaching reforms to boost competitiveness, while a second investment drive has secured R890 billion in new pledges over the past year.

However, he cautioned that these efforts would take time to translate into jobs.

“And even as the economy grows, young people may still find it difficult to participate in that growth. We know that for many young South Africans, the promise of democracy can feel distant when jobs are scarce, when opportunities seem out of reach and when qualifications do not always lead to employment. 

“Many of you are working hard, applying for jobs, pursuing training and seeking opportunities, only to face disappointment. We hear these frustrations, and we understand that they are real,” Ramaphosa said.

To reassure citizens that government is working to address youth unemployment, he outlined a range of programmes providing young people with access to learning and work opportunities, skills, experience and an income.

“One of our most successful programmes has been the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which was launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Today, that stimulus has created in excess of 2.5 million work and livelihood opportunities. More than eight in ten of these opportunities have gone to young people, and two-thirds to women. It has enabled the most rapid expansion of public employment in our history,” Ramaphosa said.

The President said the initiative stands out for its impact on participants’ prospects and the contribution it makes in the communities where they work.

Last year, through the Basic Education Employment Initiative, 200,000 unemployed young people provided valuable support to nearly 22,000 schools in remote villages, townships, dense inner cities, special needs classrooms and farm schools. 

“The programme is giving young people their first foothold in the world of work while strengthening the foundations of learning in the schools that need it most,” he said.

Another successful programme, the Social Employment Fund, offers part-time work for young people in social development initiatives such as education, food and agriculture, health care, environmental improvement and safety.

“Because it is part-time, participants get regular and predictable income while spending the rest of their time looking for work, exploring business opportunities or improving their skills. 

“Alongside these public and social employment programmes, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention is steadily dismantling the barriers that keep young people locked out of the labour market,” the President said.

Through the SA Youth online platform, more than 5.7 million young people can now search for opportunities, helping to overcome barriers such as transport and data costs. To date, the intervention has facilitated access to more than 2.3 million earning opportunities.

The revitalised National Youth Service has placed more than 132,000 young people in paid service opportunities in their communities.

“These are young people learning the dignity of work while giving back to the society that raised them. The Youth Employment Service, which is a business initiative, places young people in quality year-long work experience opportunities in companies across the country. 

“We are also pioneering smarter ways of spending training funds. The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund pays for training for young people only when they are placed in a real, quality job. It is a model that demands results,” the President said.

He emphasised that behind each of these figures is a young person whose dignity has been restored, whose confidence has been renewed and whose horizons have broadened.

“Although these opportunities are mostly short-term, there are thousands of stories of young people who have used them as a stepping stone towards finding a permanent job, starting a small business or studying towards a new career. 

“The value of these opportunities can be measured not merely by what young people earn while they’re in the programme, but by what they leave with: skills, experience, self-esteem and a sense of purpose,” Ramaphosa said.

The President acknowledged that much work remains.

He said the scale of the challenge demands sustained and deepened efforts.

“Every company, every department, every organisation and every South African who can open a door for a young person must do so.  Your country sees your potential and will work with you to ensure that you realise it. 

“Let us together build a South Africa in which every young person finds their place in an inclusive economy and in a thriving society,” the President concluded. –SAnews.gov.za

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While the youth of 1976 left an indelible mark in the fight against apartheid’s oppressive education policies, paving the way for equal access to education and opportunities, National Council of Provinces Chairperson Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane has urged today’s youth not to become passive members of society.

“To this end, our repeated call to the youth of today is to remember what the struggle was for. It is for the youth to pick up the baton and not become passive recipients of government, private and public interventions. It is for the youth to reclaim education as a site of struggle,” Mtshweni-Tsipane said on Monday in Johannesburg.

She was addressing the National Youth Parliament, convened to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Student Uprisings and 30 years of South Africa’s transformative Constitution.

National Youth Day is celebrated on June 16 to honour the role young people played in the fight against apartheid and the Soweto Uprising of 1976. 

“In commemorating this historic occasion, the current generation must properly locate the essence of the 1976 struggle to understand present challenges as part of the long arc of liberation. 

“This was a moment in our painful history when the youth, the children of Soweto and across the country, did not wake up intending to die. Rather, they chose to take ownership of their future through a protracted struggle to confront and combat their oppression,” the Chairperson said.

She added that the youth-led uprising of 1976 became the focal point of opposition when other organisations fighting for liberation had been banned and many leaders were in exile, underground or imprisoned.

“It was characterised as a period of people’s power, where apartheid rule was being displaced in all corners of society through forms of self-government across our communities. 

“It was a period of liberation of consciousness from psychological and political oppression, helping to rebuild political unity and self-determination,” Mtshweni-Tsipane said.

She therefore called on South Africans to help address contemporary challenges such as transformation and access to quality education, as a means to reclaim the present and the future, and confront precarious labour conditions in a changing world of work to redefine a different development path.

Furthermore, she said young people should mobilise a multi-sectoral compact to accelerate youth development and policy implementation, and reassert the role of a democratic Parliament as the epicentre of lawmaking, oversight and public participation.

“As Parliament, we have committed ourselves to becoming more deliberate in deepening accountability and strengthening state capacity to deliver services to our people. 

“Let us be inspired by the sacrifices of the youth of 1976, who showed that the future of South Africa depends on the determination of its young people. Passivity, drug abuse and alcohol abuse do not build nations,” she said.

The Chairperson also encouraged young people to reclaim democracy by registering to vote and deciding the kind of country and world in which they wish to live.

“The multiple, interlocking and interrelated challenges facing young people are not the problems of the future; they are the problems of the present. It is time to make your mark and contribution through all sites of people’s power, especially through our municipalities, legislatures and Parliament,” Mtshweni-Tsipane said.

She stressed that the struggle is not yet over.

“It has moved from the streets of our communities to different sites of contestation in universities, industries, corporations, the spaces of arts and culture, spirituality, sport and other aspects of social life. That is why some political thinkers say the struggle feels different today,” the Chairperson said.

She invited participants in the Youth Parliament to contribute meaningfully towards creating renewed ways of life through an oversight agenda that affirms freedoms, even under conditions of scarcity and constraint.

“Parliament is a theatre of contestation, ideas and oversight, and a necessity in developing a transformative strategy for social change.

“Thus, our presence here today in the great city of Johannesburg is to give credence to all voices, especially those of the marginalised, the unemployed and poor youth, against a history of erasure that the youth of 1976 sought to end,” the Chairperson said. –SAnews.gov.za

 

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A 45-year-old suspect was arrested on charges of kidnapping, unlawful discharge of a firearm in a public area and defeating the ends of justice, following a shooting incident involving an e-hailing driver in Edenvale, Johannesburg, this past weekend.

The suspect is expected to appear before the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

“It is alleged that at approximately 07:30 [on Sunday], the e-hailing driver had transported a female passenger to a residence in Edenvale when he was confronted by the suspect, who accused him of being involved in a romantic relationship with his girlfriend,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.

The suspect allegedly forced the e-hailing driver into his vehicle and prevented him from leaving.  

“During the incident, the suspect reportedly discharged a firearm in the direction of the driver. The e-hailing driver managed to escape unharmed and immediately drove to a nearby police station to report the matter.

“Police acted swiftly and arrested the suspect shortly after the incident. Investigations are continuing,” the police said. – SAnews.gov.za

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The role of parliamentarians in enhancing public trust in governance are among the issues that will be discussed at the 19th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) Africa Region.

The conference will take place at Emperors Palace in Gauteng, from 16 to 20 June 2026 and will be co-hosted by Parliament and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

Parliament said the programme will commence with an opening ceremony at 2pm.

The CSPOC Africa Region, which brings together 63 parliamentary presiding officers from national parliaments and sub-national legislatures across the continent, will be held under the theme: “Proactive Parliaments and Sustainable Development: An Imperative for Political Stability in Africa.”

Topics that will be discussed include:
•    Reforming and developing innovative mechanisms and strategies for effective and proactive parliamentary leadership in Africa’s development.
•    Harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth for sustainable development: the role of Parliaments.
•    Leveraging technology and digital tools for effective and sustainable development.

The conference is convened under the auspices of the African regional branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) – an international association of Commonwealth parliamentarians established in 1911 to promote parliamentary democracy, good governance and cooperation among legislatures across the Commonwealth.

The CSPOC Africa Region, the largest regional gathering of Commonwealth legislative leaders, seeks to strengthen legislative institutions and advance accountability, effective oversight and sustainable development across the continent. 

“The conference provides a platform for parliamentary leaders to exchange experiences and best practices, deliberate on matters of common interest, and explore ways of strengthening democratic institutions in support of sustainable development and political stability in Africa,” said Parliament. –SAnews.gov.za

 

 

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By Sandile Nene 
The pressing crisis of high unemployment in South Africa can no longer be addressed by government alone, it requires a collective effort from the public sector, private sector, labour, civil society and communities themselves. The time has come for young people to seize the power of small businesses and create employment opportunities in their own communities. 

The latest Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force report revealed that unemployment stood at 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026. These figures should keep us all awake at night. The country’s unemployment rate remains a deeply concerning reality, and sadly, the burden falls most heavily on the youth and women who make up a substantial proportion of our population. This growing crisis demands bold action and entrepreneurship at the local level must be part of the solution.

Most people think that becoming an entrepreneur requires a big idea and substantial capital, yet that is not always the case. Small businesses are proving to be a powerful way to revive township economies and at the same time create much-needed jobs. 

Starting a small business to meet identified needs in our communities will not only provide our youth with an income but can also begin a cycle of community upliftment. It is for this reason that South Africans, in particular, women and young people with an aptitude for business, are encouraged to seize the opportunity and start their own small businesses.

Over the years, government has introduced a range of interventions aimed at empowering young people and creating pathways into the economy. Programmes such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the Youth Employment Service, skills development initiatives, public employment programmes and support for entrepreneurship are part of broader efforts to ensure that young South Africans are not left behind. 

Through the Department of Small Business Development, and institutions such as the Small Enterprise Development Agency and the National Youth Development Agency, government continues to invest in skills training, funding access, and business support. 

Additionally, the Transformation Fund continues to be instrumental in supporting black-owned businesses and historically disadvantaged individuals. Furthermore, R350 million has been committed for ‘a government and business partnership’ aimed at placing 130 000 young people into learning and employment opportunities.

This is in addition to R95 million committed to the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to support Youth Employment Innovation Projects also aimed at placing 7 000 young people into productive economic activities. 

Government led by the Department of Employment and Labour, has also declared 2026 as “The Year of Putting Young South Africans to Work, in Honour of the 1976 Youth and Commemoration of the Youth Uprising Golden Jubilee.” This is a clarion call to repositioning and repurposing government interventions, to respond more effectively to South Africa’s deepening unemployment crisis.

Government recognises the youth as the future leaders of our country and in addition to entrepreneurship calls on young people to also choose careers that are in high demand such as engineering and information technology. 

*Nene is the Acting Deputy Director-General at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

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The Department of Home Affairs is continuing work to replace the green barcoded ID books with secure smart IDs.

Responding to questions at an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration media briefing on Sunday, Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, said the green ID is the most defrauded piece of identity document in South Africa.

“There are studies that it is the most defrauded identity document on the African continent and it is easy to understand why, it has got a physical photograph that can be manipulated or exchanged or swapped. If you lose your green ID, or someone steals it, it can easily be manipulated by putting another photo in there,” Schreiber said.

The Minster added that artificial intelligence can also be used to manipulate documents with criminal syndicates and illegal foreign nationals having the ability to manipulate IDs.

He added that there are about 16 million green ID books that are still in use.

“Our job is to replace those with secure smart IDs,” he said.

Schreiber said that through the digital partnership with the banking sector, people are able to walk into bank branches and apply to switch from the green ID to a smart ID. 

“We are moving very rapidly to expand this. We want to get to 750 bank branches by the end of this year. we are live  now in more than 178 branches throughout the country [and] many of them are in rural areas where previously people did not have access to the services,” he said. 

Last week it was announced that government will establish an Intelligent Population Register containing biometric data for every person in South Africa and introduce new regulations to prevent the misuse of Traffic Registration Numbers (TRNs).

This is part of a broader effort to strengthen migration management while upholding constitutional values and human dignity.

As part of the process, government will progressively phase out the green barcoded identity book, which President Cyril Ramaphosa said has been exploited by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates to facilitate identity theft. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

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