# Southern Africa youth employment initiatives > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/southern-africa-youth-employment-initiatives > Updated: 2026-08-06T10:12:31.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. In late July, South Africa intensified its push for vocational and business qualifications as a response to soaring unemployment and a sudden migrant‑labour shortage caused by anti‑migrant unrest. Programs such as those offered by the Waterfall School of Business aimed to equip learners with job‑ready skills, while the Department of Employment and Labour highlighted widespread non‑compliance with labour laws. By early August, the focus broadened to a regional scale. Southern African governments, notably Eswatini and South Africa, expanded youth‑employment schemes that combine training, financing and entrepreneurship. The World Bank‑backed Eswatini Youth Employment Opportunities Project targets 30,000 young people with loans and digital pathways, while South Africa’s Youth in Action Expo and the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention continued to promote TVET and report millions of new earning opportunities, especially for young women. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-06: Southern Africa Expands Youth Employment Programs Amid High Unemployment Southern Africa tackles high youth unemployment: Eswatini rolls out World Bank‑funded training and loans for 30,000 youths, while South Africa’s Deputy Minister urges TVET uptake and reports 155,000 new jobs in 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/southern-africa-expands-youth-employment-programs-amid-high-unemployment ### 2026-07-27: South Africa grapples with vocational training drive amid migrant labour shortage South Africa pushes vocational training to combat unemployment while a migrant labour exodus leaves farms and factories understaffed and exposes widespread labour law breaches. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-africa-grapples-with-vocational-training-drive-amid-migrant-labour-shortage --- Cite as: Southern Africa youth employment initiatives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/southern-africa-youth-employment-initiatives