SA Youth connects young people to work and employers to a pool of entry level talent.
Are you a work-seeker?
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
2 million
opportunities enabled for work-seekers
3,000+
employer partners
R45.2 billion
income for youth
Updated 11 December 2025
PARTNERS
HARAMBEE NEWS
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.
Fueling the Engine of Self-Employment: A viable path towards sustained livelihoods for young people
South Africa’s formal sector is shedding jobs at a worrying rate. This is according to both the latest Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) and the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), which support the finding that there are 200,000 fewer individuals in formal employment than there were in the first quarter of 2023.
From DigiLink to Collective X: Driving Transformation in the Digital Economy
South Africa stands at a crossroads where digital innovation and youth potential converge. As the country seeks to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, two resources – the DigiLink case study and the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Programme Builder’s Toolkit – offer a blueprint for change. These initiatives, driven by Collective X and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, showcase how structured support, collaboration, and practical experience can unlock meaningful careers for thousands of young South Africans.
Systems Change: Insights and reflections for development practitioners
In just 12 years, Gerald Chertavian has nurtured Year Up
from start-up to star status among nonprofits that offer
job training and educational support to disadvantaged
urban young adults.
Including Women Means Powering Growth
This Women’s Month, we spotlight the economic power of inclusion. The fundamental freedom to work and earn is often frustratingly elusive for women. This inequity is reason enough to pay close attention to the data on women’s participation in the labour market, but there is also a compelling economic reason to do so: growing our labour market equitably benefits everyone.
Nine Strategies to Deliver Impact at a Scale that Truly Meets Needs
In just 12 years, Gerald Chertavian has nurtured Year Up
from start-up to star status among nonprofits that offer
job training and educational support to disadvantaged
urban young adults.
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.