SA youth, educated, unemployed, hungry and losing hope

Graduates battle to get a start as job prospects fade

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane, Sihle Mavuso and Nakampe Lekwadu

When Nosisipho Tatsi left the Eastern Cape for Mpumalanga, she carried more than just a suitcase - she brought along dreams of changing her life.

In 2023, she completed her Master’s in Agricultural Extension at the University of Mpumalanga, in Mbombela, but she has had no luck finding work since.

“I only worked on a six-month contract, doing admin and farm visits at the provincial agriculture department,” she said. “Now I wake up every day with a qualification but without any career to speak of. It’s a recurring shock.”

Tatsi, 27, is one of millions of young South Africans caught between achievement and despair in a country where joblessness remains stubbornly high.

Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q1 2025 shows that employment declined by 291000, taking the number of unemployed people from 16.8-million to 17.1-million.

Yet, Tatsi has not given up. She has chosen to settle in Mbombela with her partner, fellow graduate Siphesihle Shabalala, who holds an honours degree in development studies, also from UMP. “There’s nothing as frustrating as financial struggle,” said Tatsi. “Love is the only solace that keeps us sane in a world doing its best to drive graduates crazy.”

Shabalala, 33, determined to shift their situation, has founded the Unemployed and Not Ashamed Youth Movement, which connects graduates keen to build businesses instead of watching their qualifications gather dust.

“People assume we're lazy, and that creates shame,” said Shabalala, a self-published author and freelance MC.