試す 金 - 無料
Time to back South Africans: cut interest rates, prioritise jobs
Weekend Argus on Saturday
|May 17, 2025
SOUTH Africa is facing a job crisis, and it’s worsening.
The latest employment figures are hard to stomach: 237 000 jobs lost in the first quarter of 2025, pushing the official unemployment rate to a staggering 32.9%. That’s 8.2 million people without work. If we include those who’ve given up looking for work, that figure balloons to 12.7m, roughly 43.1% of the workforce.
These aren’t just stats.
Behind each number is a household battling to survive, young people losing hope, and communities on the brink. Unemployment at this scale isn’t just an economic issue, it's a social crisis with far-reaching consequences.
It’s no surprise that poverty continues to tighten its grip. Over half of South Africans, around 55%, live below the poverty line, according to recent data from Stats SA. Crime has ticked up, with SAPS reporting a 6.7% rise in violent incidents like robbery and murder last year. Mental health is under pressure too, as clinics report growing cases of depression and anxiety driven by financial stress. Among the youth, almost 60% are unemployed, and the frustration is palpable.
The risk of social unrest is not abstract, it’s real, and it’s growing.
This is the reality our economy is contending with.
このストーリーは、Weekend Argus on Saturday の May 17, 2025 版からのものです。
Magzter GOLD を購読すると、厳選された何千ものプレミアム記事や、10,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスできます。
すでに購読者ですか? サインイン
Weekend Argus on Saturday からのその他のストーリー

Weekend Argus on Saturday
'Ramaphosa agreed to disband Political Killings Task Team'
SUSPENDED police minister Senzo Mchunu testified that he briefed President Cyril Ramaphosa about his decision to disband the Political Killing Task Team (PKTT) and added that the commander-in-chief was in agreement with it.
3 mins
October 18, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Is Sea Point losing its soul to commercialisation?
RESIDENTS CONCERNED
3 mins
October 18, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Integrity of judiciary under scrutiny
KWAZULU-NATAL'S police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has ignited a firestorm of controversy this week as he made several high-profile requests to Parliament.
3 mins
October 11, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Justice for Palestine, say SA activists
CEASEFIRE NOT ENOUGH
2 mins
October 11, 2025

Weekend Argus on Saturday
A cap, a coat, a remote control: Mthethwa's belongings given to widow
A CAP, a coat, and a remote control: these were the belongings handed to the widow of South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nkosinathi “Nathi” Emmanuel Mthethwa, after his tragic death at an upmarket Paris hotel this week.
1 mins
October 04, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Sale of CTICC still under review
THE future of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) remains under review as the City of Cape Town explores the possible sale of its 72.7% shareholding in the landmark facility.
2 mins
October 04, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Activists demand release of flotilla volunteers
PICKETS against the ongoing crisis in Palestine are a familiar sight, but yesterday, gatherings across South Africa focused on the detention of humanitarian volunteers captured by Israeli forces while en route to aid Gaza.
4 mins
October 04, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
End of Political Killings Task Team in focus
KZN National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, Elaine Harrison said her office was never formally informed of the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), saying she would have objected to the decision because of the team’s good work.
1 mins
September 27, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Dire impact of rogue parents on teachers
PARENTAL aggression has pushed already-stretched teachers past their limits, forcing many to leave the profession, and in some cases, the country.
3 mins
September 27, 2025
Weekend Argus on Saturday
Alleged abuse of racehorses in spotlight
HORSERACING is a multi-million rand business in South Africa, but behind the glitz and glamour of racing events and the betting that goes with it, are the horses, whom the National Council of SPCA's (NSPCA) say are subject to abuse, illegal harnessing, including the racing of horses that are too young to race.
3 mins
September 20, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size