SA Youth.mobi, a free online recruitment platform aimed at connecting young people with jobs, training and workplace experience opportunities, now has more than 5.7 million registered users, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during the National Youth Day commemoration in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The platform, established through the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), allows young people to register at no cost and access opportunities without using mobile data, as the website is zero-rated.
Addressing young people at the event, Ramaphosa said the initiative continues to expand access to employment and skills development opportunities.
“We are expanding public employment, youth service and workplace experience. More than 5.7 million young people are now registered on the SA Youth.mobi platform. Of these, more than 2 million young people have gained access to earning opportunities,” he said.
Millions reached through employment initiatives
Ramaphosa said government-led interventions have already helped create work and livelihood opportunities for millions of South Africans.
“The initiative has created work and livelihood opportunities for more than 2.5 million unemployed South Africans. Of these, 82% were young people and 66% were women,” he said.
The president also highlighted the success of the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund pilot programme.
“Through the pilot phase of the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, over 9 000 young people have been enrolled and more than 7 200 successfully placed into employment. This shows the potential of training that is linked to employment opportunities.”
The SA Youth.mobi platform was developed through a partnership involving Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, the Department of Employment and Labour, the Department of Higher Education and Training, the National Youth Development Agency, Youth Employment Service (YES) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
The initiative seeks to help young people gain work experience while connecting them to employment, entrepreneurship and skills development opportunities.
National Youth Service opportunities expand
Ramaphosa said the revitalised National Youth Service has also contributed significantly to youth employment efforts.
“The revitalised National Youth Service has placed more than 130 000 young people in paid service opportunities to date, with an additional 100 000 community service youth employment opportunities currently available.”
“These interventions give young people a foothold in the world of work, but they are not the final destination. That is why our overarching priority at the moment is to grow an inclusive economy that creates sustainable jobs at scale.”
Focus on skills linked to employment
The president said the government is reforming the country’s skills development system to ensure training programmes lead directly to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“We are reshaping the skills system so that qualifications lead more directly to work and enterprise. That is why we are strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) colleges as engines of occupational skills and linking colleges, employers and SETAs to the needs of local economies.”
He added that practical workplace exposure remains critical.
“Skills are not formed in classrooms alone. They are formed in workplaces, industries, communities and enterprises.”
Infrastructure investment to create opportunities
Looking ahead, Ramaphosa said the government’s planned R1 trillion infrastructure investment over the next three years will create additional opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, artisan development and skills transfer programmes.
“We are building and maintaining roads, dams, schools, hospitals, clinics, electricity lines, railway lines and port infrastructure.”
He said the government’s growth strategy focuses on sectors capable of creating jobs at scale, including manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, logistics, energy, mining beneficiation, digital infrastructure and the creative economy.
“Young people must be an integral part of these industries. They must be trained for these industries, work in them, build businesses in them and own a part of them,” Ramaphosa said.
