By Akani Nkuna
Five years after its launch in 2020, the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative is showing string progress in addressing youth employment. The latest data reveals that over 4.78 million young South Africans have registered on the National Pathway Management Network, with more than 1.67 million earing opportunities created.
These figures, according to Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli, highlight the initiative’s success in creating meaningful pathways to economic participation for the country’s youth.
“These jobs are not just temporary placements. They are quality jobs, defined by duration, income level and growth potential. We are already seeing shifts in employer practices as a result to better accommodate excluded young people,” she said on Monday.
Addressing the media at in Pretoria, Mhlauli presented the fourth quarter progress report of the PYEI, highlighting key achievements and plans to expand its impact through stronger government and private sector collaboration.
The briefing covered innovative efforts such as the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, new tools for supporting township entrepreneurs and target strategies aimed at tackling the persistent challenge of youth unemployment in South Africa.
According to Mhlauli, during the fourth quarter, 76,569 earning opportunities were accessed by young people, 60,444 via SA.Youth.Mobi and 16,125 through the Employment Services South Africa.
She further noted continued progress through strategic partnerships.
Additionally, Youth Employment Services enabled 15,137 private sector placements, while the Department of Higher Education and Training placed 5504 Technical and Vocational Education and Training graduates.
Over 43,000 young entrepreneurs received support and 2048 youth joined Phase 3 of the National Youth Service.
“This report also highlights the launch of the Township Ecosystem Mapping Platform, a new tool developed under the Local Ecosystem Enablement pillar, aimed at improving coordination and access for township-based entrepreneurs,” she added.
Mhlauli that by the end of March 2025, over 5400 young people had been enrolled in the PYEI programme, reaching 65% of its enrolment target. More than 3000 of them have been placed in quality jobs.
“Over R70 million had been disbursed to 11 implementing partners, including R30 million in this quarter alone,” Mhlauli reiterated.
However, Mhlauli acknowledged that more needed to be done to raise awareness about the programme’s existence, saying that many young people remained unaware of available opportunities.
As part of ongoing outreach efforts, her department would be in Cape Town’s townships, including Nyanga, later this week to engage with youth directly and promote the initiative more broadly on the ground.
“In some instances where we do get to the intended beneficiaries, which is the young person, might not be aware of the programme or might not have all of the information about the programme, which is why we have ensured that with this programme right now on a quarterly basis, we are out in communities, particularly your urban townships which have high levels of unemployment…,” the deputy minister said.
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