Ramaphosa doubles down on youth employment in light of persisting unemployment crisis

By Johnathan Paoli

As South Africa commemorated Youth Day this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating meaningful work and learning opportunities for young people, a demographic most affected by unemployment.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation, Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that country must live up to the democratic ideals that generations of youth, including those of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, fought and died for.

“If we are to live up to the democratic promise for which so many sacrificed and gave their lives, we have to ensure that we invest in today’s generation of young people and unleash their potential,” the president said.

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate remains among the highest in the world, with more than 60% of people aged between 15 and 24 not in employment, education, or training.

To combat this, the government has rolled out several youth-focused programmes since