Little hope for young jobseekers

NATIONAL CRISIS

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

YOUTH unemployment in South Africa is a national crisis. Thousands of young people that have either fallen out of the school system, didn’t get into university or other higher education institutions or graduated but can’t find jobs, are roaming the streets, desperate and depressed and easy pickings for those with criminal intent.

With a stagnant economy, youth unemployment is estimated at a staggering 58.5% in the third quarter of 2025, with around one in three young people classified as not in employment, education, or training (NEET).

Such is the desperations that recently in Tshwane, around 5,000 people recently lined up for just 20 vacancies. In Benoni and other towns, job seekers arrived before dawn, hoping to secure interviews for entry-level roles.

Even the South African Police Service, traditionally seen as a stable employer, received more than one million applications for its 2025/2026 Basic Police Development Learning Programme. Gauteng alone accounted for 267,031 applications, yet only a small fraction of applicants were selected.