Solving youth unemployment through partnerships.
WHO WE ARE
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a not-for-profit social enterprise that works with partners to find solutions for the challenge of youth unemployment. Our partners who, like us, are committed to results that can work at scale – include government, the private sector, civil society, and over 5 million youth. We are working to unlock jobs and break down the barriers that keep millions of young South Africans unemployed. Our vision is of a growing economy and a society that works, powered by the potential of young people.
Harambee is an anchor partner in a breakthrough platform called SA Youth which brings together many partners to create a single national network to allow young people to access a wide selection of jobs and skilling opportunities, and for opportunity holders to access young engaged work-seekers – for free!
4.6 million
work-seekers supported
1.6 million +
young people connected to earning opportunities
3,000+
employer partners
R45.2 billion
income for youth
Updated 11 December 2025
PARTNERS
HARAMBEE NEWS
A Review of South Africa’s Data on the Care Economy
The care economy is fundamental to the functioning of society and the economy — shaping how children are cared for and educated, how people access healthcare and social support, how older persons age with dignity, and how households and communities are sustained. Yet despite its critical role…
Harambee In the News – Jan – Mar 2026
Harambee in the News: A snapshot of where Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator was featured in the media each month, reflecting ongoing conversations around youth employment, inclusive hiring, and the partnerships helping to connect young people to meaningful work opportunities across South Africa.
Beyond the Storm: Transforming the youth employment landscape through data and bold action.
Young South Africans earned their praise in the President’s State of the Nation Address with a record 88% matric pass rate in 2025. And although experts remain concerned about the distribution of these gains across subjects, the growing share of Bachelor’s passes, especially from no‑fee schools, signals that both performance and equity continue trending upward.
Shaping the Future of GBS and Digital Work
The GBS and Digital sectors have been identified as a generator of an outsized proportion of youth employment opportunities. With the GBS and Digital Jobs Project, delivered in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, targeting the creation of 200,000 digital and GBS jobs in Rwanda and South Africa by 2030, these sectors must continue to be the focus of acute analysis to ensure the continent’s most excluded youth benefit from its growth.
Building the Youth Economy in SA: Services, Skills, and the AI Transition
Young South Africans earned their praise in the President’s State of the Nation Address with a record 88% matric pass rate in 2025. And although experts remain concerned about the distribution of these gains across subjects, the growing share of Bachelor’s passes, especially from no‑fee schools, signals that both performance and equity continue trending upward.
Harambee uses AI Innovation to support South African youth at scale
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator provides 24/7 AI-powered multichannel support to millions of work-seekers in South Africa. Since implementing the Genesys Cloud™ platform, the nonprofit has achieved 90% first-contact resolution and answer rates and has gained 24,900 hours of productivity. Its popular conversational chatbot manages 37,000 interactions per month and speech and text analytics offer deep insights for continually optimizing Harambee’s services.
Every single day, thousands of lives are impacted by the work of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator.
Harambee has contributed to enabling inclusive growth, resilient cities, and sustainable economies in the partnerships that it built with business and government
Harambee has provided cutting edge insights - globally - on the barriers facing young people and what is needed to break them down
Harambee's work has created the leading example in nation-building by business, civil society and government.