South Africa youth initiative creates 2.6 million earning opportunities

Since 2020, South Africa’s Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) has provided over 2.6 million earning opportunities for young people, surpassing the initial target of 1.5 million. However, Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli clarified that these figures represent temporary earning opportunities, such as work-based placements, work-integrated learning, and paid service roles, rather than permanent jobs.

In the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, the National Pathway Management Network recorded 139,693 opportunities. Of these, 106,093 were facilitated through SA Youth and 33,600 through the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) system. Notably, approximately 70% of the opportunities accessed through SA Youth were utilized by young women.

The initiative also focuses on entrepreneurship and skills development. The National Youth Development Agency provided 5,214 enterprise support opportunities in the latest quarter, including both financial and non-financial interventions. Government officials noted that evaluations and tracing studies are currently underway to determine if participants can transition from these temporary roles into sustainable long-term employment or enterprise opportunities.