Opportunities await in mature global markets

SOUTH Africa's unemployment crisis is a national tragedy. Stats SA in the final Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for 2024 confirmed the scale of the challenge - too many are seeking work and finding only frustration. But what if this crisis could be rebranded as an opportunity? What if there's a way to equip jobless South Africans with the skills they need to build real careers, even if it means setting them up to look for overseas opportunities first? The world needs trained workers and skilled professionals, particularly in the food production, hospitality and customer service industries.

- DANIEL ORELOWITZ

Training South Africans to meet those needs would be life changing and the impact of training programmes tailored for international employers would be invaluable. Our people could gain global experience, earn competitive wages and develop much-needed expertise, which they'll bring home with them and put to work strengthening South African industries. It's a win-win situation, that much is undeniable. The only thing that remains is figuring out how to make it happen faster - how to effectively turn local training into launchpads for global careers.

South Africa's official unemployment rate saw a slight dip to 31.9% in Q4 2024, according to Stats SA. While this shows a small increase in employment and a decrease in the number of unemployed, it masks a concerning trend: a rise in discouraged work-seekers by 160 000 (up by 5%). This suggests that many have given up hope of finding employment, a worrying indicator of the depth of the problem. Furthermore, youth unemployment, while showing a marginal improvement to 44.6%, remains high, indicating the continued vulnerability of young people in the labour market.