Source: President of South Africa –
Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela;
Host, Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Premiers and MECs;
Members of the Human Resource Development Council;
Directors- General and senior Government officials;
Good morning!
I would like to extend my congratulations to Mr. Buti Manamela on his appointment as the Minister of Higher Education and Training. We are pleased that you are familiar with the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) and possess institutional memory regarding our objectives.
As a former youth and student leader, we appreciate your comprehensive awareness of the concerns of young people in the developmental agenda. We are confident in your capacity to lead this sector and look forward to collaborating closely with you and your team.
Let me also extend a warm welcome to all of you as we gather here today for this Council meeting. We are meeting here today because together we hold a collective wisdom and commitment to increase productivity, and the human resource development needed to successfully transform South Africa into a knowledge economy.
Substantively, we are here because we are all dedicated to improving national economic growth and development through the improved competitiveness of the South African economy.
We are meeting here today after a harsh reality was revealed by Statistics South Africa that the unemployment rate climbed once again to 33.2%, meaning one-third of the workforce is sitting without a job, the majority of whom are youth, women, and marginalised groups.
We must acknowledge that the crisis of youth unemployment is particularly severe among young people not in employment, education, or training – the NEET cohort.
According to Statistics South Africa’s first-quarter release of 2025, 34% of all youth aged 15–24 – more than 3.5 million young people – are disconnected from both the labour market and the education system.
Research by the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape Town reminds us that this is not a homogenous group, but rather a heterogeneous mix of young people whose experiences reflect entrenched exclusion, long-term unemployment, and fragile transitions between short-term opportunities.
Alarmingly, more than half of unemployed youth not in employment, education and training have been searching for work for over a year, underscoring the systemic barriers they face in securing a foothold in the labour market.
The HRDC plays a crucial role in addressing this crisis by improving workforce skills, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth. This is indeed an entrenched challenge that directly calls for the Council’s innovation and leadership. The future of the youth of South Africa is in our hands, and we must be radical in securing it!
Among other things, these statistics should prompt us to reconsider our role in mobilising various stakeholders and social partners to develop skills that meet the needs of the South African economy.
We should ask ourselves about the effectiveness of our education and training in responding to the social and economic development agenda. This includes how responsive we are in addressing quality issues in education, the skills development pipeline, and the shortages of skills in priority areas.
We must adopt a proactive stance and address the disparity between labour supply and demand. We must create a labour market that will effectively create employment opportunities for young people, including those with no skills.
We can address unemployment, including among those with limited skills, through a multi-pronged approach focused on education and skills development, entrepreneurship, and public employment programmes.
Improving education, aligning it with market needs, supporting small businesses, and investing in public work programs are key strategies.
It is universally acknowledged that education and skills development are essential for productive employment and economic prosperity. It is imperative to implement a more cohesive strategy between businesses and educational institutions to guarantee the cultivation of skills required for the economy.
Moreover, it is mandatory to encourage job creation by investing in employment-generating sectors, particularly by supporting the growth of small enterprises, which are pivotal to economic expansion. By fostering teamwork and a cohesive effort among government, business, and the training sector, we can effectively reverse the current situation, diminish unemployment, and establish a robust and resilient economy.
Together, we must persist in endorsing strategies and interventions that facilitate our efforts as the HRDC. This involves promoting and contributing to the execution of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, a multi-sectoral initiative aimed at tackling South Africa’s persistent youth unemployment issue.
We must prioritise the oversight and execution of the Human Resource Development Strategy (HRDS), which seeks to enhance the nation’s human capital through education, training, and skills development.
Through the HRDS, which also aligns with the National Development Plan (NDP), we can work together to address skills gaps, enhance employability, and reduce poverty and inequality.
Our nation requires us to have an integrated approach across a variety of sectors and levels, beginning with the development of young children and ending with their entry into the labour market. We need to do this with new energy and determination to build an HRDC that makes a difference in our communities.
As I have mentioned previously, for us to take our country forward, we must focus on the discipline of execution. We have at this stage mastered the art of policy making; however, some of these policies are not coming alive in the areas where they are needed to transform the lives of South Africans and the youth in particular.
The HRDC must therefore be diligent and quick in implementing its agenda of upskilling young people to respond to the global challenges that confront us!
The HRDC must recognise that, in addition to high unemployment rates, there is a deficiency among individuals possessing advanced skills necessary for economic growth. The school system is having difficulties cultivating the skills required for a globalised, knowledge-driven economy.
Despite initiatives to enhance technical and vocational training and rectify skills deficiencies, a scarcity of skilled educators, together with a discord between existing skills and employer requirements, impedes advancement.
The country is actively working to improve educational outcomes, particularly in foundational learning, and to attract and retain skilled professionals. We need to keep working on making education and skills development a top priority for public sector investment, as well as expanding programmes that get young people involved in the economy.
We must further strengthen and expand the National Youth Service to bridge the school-to-work gap. This means the National Youth Development Agency must be at the forefront of integrating real-world experiences into education, fostering collaboration between educational institutions and employers, and equipping students with relevant skills.
This involves initiatives like workplace-integrated learning, career guidance, and mentorship programs.
We must further coordinate this at the provincial level to drive skills development and economic growth within respective provinces. Minister Manamela will give more details on this when he does his presentation on the mapping of HRDC Exco members to provincial councils.
Let me also take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to the North West and Mpumalanga provinces for the successful launch of their provincial HRDC. The Provincial Council should concentrate on initiatives that will lead to increased productivity and the development of the necessary skills for our country to transition to a knowledge and skills-based economy. These Provincial Councils play a vital role in the implementation of the HRD Strategy and achieving our objectives.
Ladies and gentlemen,
One of the most significant challenges we face globally is the rapid growth of technology and the digital revolution. As automation and artificial intelligence shape industries, demand for traditional skills decreases, leading to an urgent need for new, technologically driven skills.
The South African community must become digitally adaptive to ensure digital inclusivity for future generations.
We must refocus our curriculum and skills development programmes to align with industry, economic, and social needs. As technology advances exponentially, today’s abilities may become obsolete tomorrow.
Thus, we must encourage active personal and professional development. Whether through workplace training or accessible learning platforms, we must create a learning environment that will prepare our workers for future challenges and opportunities.
The discussion today must encompass the necessity of skills development programmes that cater to the demands of all societal groups. We must reconcile disparities across various socio-economic categories, guaranteeing equitable access to skills development opportunities for everyone.
A robust and proficient workforce is the foundation of a prosperous nation. Consequently, we must collaborate to allocate resources towards skills development to advance South Africa on a path to economic prosperity, innovation, and social progress.
Compatriots and colleagues,
Let me conclude by drawing your attention to the G20 Summit. The G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) provides a chance to develop more inclusive and resilient education systems capable of preparing students for the future.
As a host country, we have the chance to support emerging market economies’ objectives while also promoting the African continent’s development agenda within the G20 framework.
The collaborative activities and collaborations formed through this platform have played a key role in advancing education reform, promoting inclusive & quality education, and improving our youth’s employability.
As we continue to strive for excellence in human resource development, let us use our partnerships and resources to further our shared goals.
Together, we can have a long-term impact on our people’s lives and contribute to our country’s sustainable growth.
Let us work together to create a brighter future for all South Africans and those who live in it.
Thank you.