Keynote address by the Honourable Deputy Minister of the Department of Employment and Labour, Mr Jomo Sibiya, on the occasion of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention: Unlocking KZN's growth potential
Programme director, Ms Zengeziwe Msimang,
Chief executive officer of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Ms Kasthuri Soni,
Chief executive officer of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ms Palesa Phili,
DDG stakeholder coordination, Dr Sabelo Gwala,
Senior leaders, and human resource leaders and practitioners from across government, the private sector and civil society present,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Good morning and thank you for gracing us with your presence.
It is a privilege to stand before you today at the SA Youth Employer Breakfast, in beautiful eThekwini. This, as many of you may know, is a province that holds a special place in my heart, as I am a proud son of its soil.
We convene today to address youth unemployment - one of the greatest challenges and, dare I say, opportunities, that South Africa faces.
Distinguished guests, I have recently begun running and, like many avid runners, I have observed numerous parallels between the discipline, determination, and commitment needed to consistently improve one's performance and the essential qualities required to navigate our contemporary world.
Much like the experience of a marathon runner, our journey towards youth employment is not a sprint, but an enduring test of stamina, vision, and collective will. Every stride, at some points challenging, and at others triumphant, brings us closer to the finish line we seek: a South Africa where every young person finds their place on the track, contributing their energy and talent to the nation's forward momentum. As every runner knows, it is not the first few steps, but the unwavering perseverance - and of course the support of those cheering from the sidelines, that enable us to overcome obstacles and reach new horizons together.
According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Statistics, released on Tuesday last week, the national unemployment rate decreased from 33.2% to 31.9% at the end if the third quarter. Furthermore, employment for youth - those under the age of 35 – increased by 265,000, which represents the largest quarter-on-quarter increase since the measurement began 17 years ago. This notwithstanding the COVID-19 recovery period. Although we remain cautiously optimistic, these statistics are evidence of the impact that we can have when the public, private and social sectors work together to solve some of our country's most seemingly intractable challenges. We must bank the wins. This is a moment of victory - that said with the full knowledge that the road ahead of us remains long.
Without you, the employers in this room and many across the country - HR practitioners and leaders from corporates, SMMEs or government - we would not have seen this positive shift in our youth unemployment figures.
Distinguished guests, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and the Department of Employment and Labour have gathered you all here because we believe that through partnership, we can collectively unlock the potential of the youth to earn an income and to contribute meaningfully to the South African economy.
Let me make this clear from the onset, KZN is a critical engine room for South Africa's economy. Allow me to share a few of the many reasons this is so;
- Between 25% and 30% of South Africa's global services workforce is concentrated in Durban, contributing to thousands of youth jobs in the province
- With 6.5 million hectares of farming land, KZN produces approximately 30% of South Africa's agricultural output.
- Durban's manufacturing sector accounts for approximately 20% of provincial employment and 21% of the national manufacturing GDP.
- Durban boasts a thriving tourism sector. Between January and May 2025, the city welcomed 2.8 million domestic trips, which generated R4.8 billion in spending, and saw over 186,000 more international arrivals compared to the previous year, contributing over R750 million.
- In addition, KZN's clothing and textile industry is on the up and up, with government proposing a Special Economic Zone, to revive this critical value chain.
These are but a few examples to show how KZN is the province to be in, representing growth, enormous potential and a massive opportunity to absorb young people in viable earning opportunities.
However, despite this, our province, like the rest of the country, faces an urgent labour market challenge, with an unemployment rate of 46.1% in the first and second quarters of 2025 for 15 – 34 year olds.
This statistic represents thousands of talented, capable young people who, like marathon runners poised at the starting line, are standing on the sidelines — from Umlazi to Newcastle, Nquthu (where I am from) to Port Shepstone and Pietermaritzburg to Richards Bay — eager to leap forward, ready to work, and prepared to contribute their energy and dedication to the race for progress.
In young people, we see the potential for the South Africa we want. In the pool of unemployed talent, there are entrepreneurs, artisans, call centre agents, last-mile delivery drivers, digital experts and more who will ensure the growth and development of our country, not just in the short term, but for generations to come.
No one understands this better that President Cyril Ramaphosa. In 2021, he launched the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI). The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) is South Africa's most comprehensive effort yet to address the youth unemployment crisis. Its goal is to transition more young people from learning to earning.
The intervention brings together the strengths of numerous government institutions and social partners to deliver more opportunities for young people. It seeks to coordinate, accelerate and enhance existing programmes and unblocks pathways to employment, learning and self-employment opportunities
A central component of the PYEI is the establishment of a National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) that guides young people towards opportunities. Other components include a focus on demand-led skilling; local ecosystem enablement to facilitate self-employment and enterprise; and a revitalised National Youth Service (NYS).
The National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) is a 'network of networks', connecting all existing networks serving unemployed youth. The NPMN creates and aggregates learning and earning opportunities and creates a single-entry point for unemployed young people to view and access opportunities in the economy, as well as a range of support services. It addresses barriers they face and provides them with active support to enable pathways into the labour market.
The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) leads the NPMN. DEL works in close partnership with the Presidency, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Youth Employment Service, SALDRU, mPowa and Harambee — who have been appointed as the national pathway manager. The network also links with several other government departments and entities, civil society, development partners, and the private sector.
The NPMN is enabled by the SA Youth platform which is operated by Harambee, the ESSA system operated by DEL, the KHETHA system operated by the DHET. All these platforms can be accessed for free online, over the phone, mobile units and self service stations in various centres. All these departments and entities are collaborating using their different platform to provide service to our young people whilst others such as DEL also focus on those above 35 years.
SA Youth is the country's largest youth recruitment platform, designed to break the barriers that keep young people locked out of the economy.
Another weapon in the NPMN's arsenal is the Department of Employment and Labour's Employment Services of South Africa or ESSA system: a credible and efficient online recruitment service and public employment services system that connect job seekers of all ages and employers to help with the national goal of workplace transformation and employment. The DEL and Harambee are currently hard at work creating an API to link SA Youth and ESSA — making even more aggregated opportunities, both earning and learning, visible to young people.
Building a future-proof workforce that can innovate and solve the country's most pressing challenges is something that we must do.
We need not look very far, particularly in this province, to know and understand that a working nation is a peaceful nation. The riots in July 2021 remain a stark reminder of this. By supporting the youth of South Africa to access the labour market and meaningfully contribute to our growth and development, we are in fact ensuring that KZN specifically and South Africa broadly enjoys the social stability that we require to prosper.
To date, there are over 4.5 million young people registered on SA Youth, and importantly 65% of registered users are young women. We know and understand that the barriers that young women face are higher and harder than those of men — so this is a statistic that is particularly important to me.
Distinguished guests, as Kasthuri noted, 1.4 million of the young people on the platform have been connected to earning opportunities. That is 1.4 million young people who have earned an income — money in their pockets. I must take this moment to congratulate the SA Youth team; I recall that when I spoke at an event hosted by Harambee and your partners at the end of last year — this figure had just reached one million, four years after the inception of the PYEI. So it is indeed encouraging to learn that in a mere year later — you have increased that number by over 400,000.
But we must do more.
With over 9 million young people not in employment, education or training, the onus rests upon employers not just in the room but across the country, to continue the trajectory of change and increase that number exponentially.
As the Department of Employment and Labour, we appreciate that the challenge of youth unemployment is complex and multifaceted, and that there are several factors that we need to be cognisant of when attempting to address the challenge at scale.
There are a plethora of struggles that you as employers go through when hiring entry-level talent — particularly in this economic climate that, although turning the corner, remains constrained. Work-readiness matters. However, by employing young recruits, you are setting the standard for other businesses and demonstrating the benefits of investing in future talent.
We often speak about the private sector being the “engine of growth". But today, I want to challenge you to also be the engine of inclusion; to see potential where others might see risk, to give that first opportunity, to be the reason a young person's story changes course. Whether you are in global business services (GBS), tourism and hospitality, retail, manufacturing, or agri-processing — be you from a large corporate, start up or SMME — there is a place for young people in your value chain.
This is why we advocate for inclusive hiring, which, by its very definition, is the intentional hiring of those most excluded from the economy. This includes but is not limited to youth, women and persons with disabilities. It is the practice of ensuring that recruitment and employment opportunities are accessible to all young people, regardless of their background, gender, ability or socioeconomic status. I wish to emphasise that inclusive hiring is not just about filling vacancies — it is about investing in potential and simply put, it is good for your bottom line.
We know that young people may not always enter the workforce fully prepared, which is why forward-thinking employers recognise that to maximise return on investment, hiring must be paired with training and skills development. Admitadledy and logically this includes creating supportive onboarding experiences, and implementing retention strategies such as mentorship, career development pathways, and inclusive workplace practices.
A business that intentionally teaches skills and nurtures potential, is a company that recognises that inclusion is not charity; it is good business.
Your first step to hiring inclusively is through SA Youth which provides you a quick and easy way to access to young job seekers, helping employers connect with motivated entry-level talent. The recent launch of the SA Youth Inclusive CV further eases your ability to be part of the solution.
This employer breakfast marks a new chapter in South Africa where we no longer speak of “unemployed youth", but of “untapped potential". We have the people, the industries and the partnerships in place. What we need now is active adoption of the SA Youth platform and the active enablement of young people's skills development and growth. Together, we can make sure that when a young person in KZN says, “I'm ready to work", the economy answers back, “We're ready for you."
Just as in a marathon, success is not determined by how you start the race, but by your perseverance and commitment to every runner crossing the finish line. By intentionally employing young people and championing their growth, we act as the coaches and cheerleaders along the route — ensuring that no one is left behind and that every stride is celebrated. Together, let us build a future where every young South African has the chance to run their race and achieve their dreams, knowing they are not alone on the journey to a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow.
Allow me, if you will, to end my speech with a quote by ultramarathon runner and author Dean Karnazes: “I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: We run because it always takes us where we want to go."
I thank you.
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