Giving SA's youngsters real jobs

ON Thursday, South Africa marked Workers' Day, a time to reflect on the state of employment in the country.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

Yet, as the nation grapples with a youth unemployment rate of over 44%, experts remain concerned about the challenges preventing South Africans from accessing meaningful work.

Dr Armand Bam, Senior Lecturer and Head of Social Impact at Stellenbosch Business School, highlighted how recent shifts in Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) have aimed to include groups such as women, people with disabilities, and individuals from rural areas.

While there has been progress in areas like enterprise development, Bam noted that many barriers still persist.

"The measure of true inclusion," he said, "is when these groups not only enter but can thrive within the economy, with sustained access to ownership, leadership and decision-making opportunities."

He pointed to issues like education gaps, unconscious bias, limited access to capital and geographic exclusion as key obstacles still at play. "Inclusion must go beyond representation to dismantling the systemic obstacles embedded in our economy," he said.

"BBBEE should not be viewed as a tick-box exercise but embraced as both a business and societal imperative," he argued.

He also warned that true transformation should focus on real outcomes, such as shifts in ownership, the rise of black and women executives, and sustainable black-owned enterprises.