Efforts to bring down the rate of youth unemployment in SA is the focus of this edition of Business Day Spotlight.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Sharmi Surianarain, chief impact officer at Harambee Youth Accelerator.
As of the first quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate for young people in SA, aged 15-24, stood at 62.4%. The broader youth unemployment rate for this group, 15-34 years, was 46.1%.
According to Surianarain, about one-million young people enter the workforce each year. Less than half — about 40% — end up being retained.
Surianarain weighs in on the ongoing national debate around the number of unemployed people in the county.
Join the discussion:
Though she agrees that changes can be made to how such measures are made, she says it is crucial to understand that a crisis still exists regardless.
Surianarain spotlights the structural and systemic barriers young women face when trying to enter and navigate the labour market and shed light on targeted interventions to drive women’s economic inclusion in SA.
She also compares SA to other African countries when it comes to employment. What can SA learn from others and what can the world learn from SA?
Through the discussion, Surianarain outlines the reality of youth unemployment in SA; the challenges faced by women specifically; the different approaches being taken to address this issue; and learnings from other countries in the region.
Harambee is funded through a combination of government, corporate and private fundraising.
• Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcast Production.
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