TACKLING YOUTH
UNEMPLOYMENT AND DEVELOPMENT With high unemployment rates, and especially unemployment among young people, South Africa’s economy isn’t growing, writes Denise Mhlanga
B
y the first quarter of 2022, unemployment was at 34.5 per cent, a 0.8 percentage drop from the previous quarter, according to Statistics South Africa. Youth unemployment remains at a sobering 65.5 per cent – leaving many young people with little hope of ever securing a job. “We are committed to removing the barriers that keep millions of young South Africans locked out of economic opportunity by partnering with organisations from the private sector, civil society and the government,” says Zengeziwe Msimang, chief engagement officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. She says they envision a growing South African economy and a society that works, powered by the potential of young people. Established in 2011, the not-for-profit social enterprise is a solution-based organisation supporting young people in finding employment. It is SA Youth network’s anchor partner, and partners with organisations, including the National Youth Development Agency, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Department of Science and Innovation, Department of Employment and Labour, Department of Higher Education and Training, Department of Small Business Development and the Youth Employment Service. The SA Youth network is a solution for many young people while the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention has partnered with private, civil, and public sector partners to bring together thousands of earning and learning opportunities into one portal – SAYouth.mobi.
10
VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
SALGA39_The Pulse Plugged in_Youth.indd 10
“Across the country, young people aged 18–34 can access jobs, learning and opportunities close to where they live without using any data,” says Msimang. She says in the first week of May 2022, Harambee loaded 16 329 vacancies on the SA Youth website, enabled 708 earning opportunities for young people, and supported an additional 11 463 young people on the journey into work. “These numbers are proof that Harambee can solve the youth employment crisis at scale. Since local government is at the coalface of service delivery, we can help with finding bright entry-level talent, located close to where delivery needs to happen,” she says.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROLE Before the government can tap into solutions like those provided by Harambee and its partners, it also needs to position youth for these opportunities within local municipalities. “Creating more opportunities for youth in terms of education, skills and employment is a key solution in reducing youth unemployment levels and helping them develop further,” says Nozibele Makanda, portfolio head for health, community services and inclusivity at SALGA. Makanda explains that SALGA’s approach to youth development seeks to assist municipalities by providing guidance and advice regarding youth development, finding solutions and ensuring youth development is well-positioned within local government. “The strategic framework for youth development at local government level is founded on the legislative and policy framework and supported by an integrated institutional arrangement. It also ensures that
Zengeziwe Msimang
municipalities prioritise the youth and that their specific needs are catered to as part of daily service delivery of the municipality.” Makanda explains that during the 2019/20 financial year, SALGA commissioned research to assess local government’s current practices and approach to youth development. A sample was done on five municipalities in each of the nine provinces. The research focus areas were institutional arrangements for youth development in municipalities, municipal services and programmes provided to the youth, youth development best practices and establishing existing challenges in addressing youth development. “Research findings revealed that municipalities didn’t have dedicated plans that address youth development initiatives or projects,” she says. Municipalities are at different stages in understanding and including youth and other vulnerable groups as part of service delivery. Proper planning, implementation of activities and projects around youth development, monitoring and evaluation as well as setting
ISSUE 39
2022/06/30 3:40 PM
