The youth unemployment crisis in South Africa has reached tipping point. Recent reports by Statistics South Africa show that the unemployment rate has increased by 0.1%. With youth making up about 70% of the unemployed group in the country the situation seems dire for the country, as the youth are the cornerstone of South Africa’s prosperity in the future.
We are therefore seeing youth and youth organisations calling for the prioritisation of youth development and job creation initiatives, for instance, The African National Congress Youth League has organised a Youth Economic Freedom March for 27 and 28 October 2011 and the Youth Communist League is hosting a Job Summit on 26 to 28 October 2011 that will address youth unemployment.
Today, 26 October 2011, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) will present its performance for the 2010/11 financial year in parliament. With its limited budget the NYDA has managed to create and facilitate employment opportunities through various initiatives such as entrepreneurship support, skills development programmes during the 2010/11 financial year. The NYDA has also attained an unqualified audit opinion (clean opinion) from an independent audit by the Auditor-General of the Republic of South Africa. For a detailed illustration of the NYDA’s impact indicators during the last 2010/11 financial year please see attached. Further detail on our annual results can be accessed via our annual report which is available on www.nyda.gov.za.
Even though the NYDA is delivering on its mandate and progress has been made in many areas. It is however impossible for the NYDA to address all the challenges without the participation of the private sector, civil society and the entirety of the state machinery. Youth development cannot be achieved if not prioritised by all sectors of society. Our country needs dedicated youth structures within organisations to mainstream youth development and make sure that the interests of young people are taken into consideration in everyday activities.
The NYDA CEO, Steven Ngubeni, will be in Cape Town on 26 October 2011 to present the 2010/11 annual report, he is available to take interviews and speak further on the following:
1. NYDA performance for the 2010/11 financial year and the its upcoming plans
2. NYDA programmes and services that are geared towards skilling and empowering young people and alleviating the unemployment challenge
3. A call to all sectors of society to prioritise youth development by either partnering with the NYDA or initiating youth development initiatives so that sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by youth can be found
For media enquiries please contact:
Refilwe Mphane (National Youth Development Agency: Communications)
Tel: 011 651 7175
Cell: 084 308 5860
