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In a recent article, Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership SA, highlights the critical issue of youth unemployment in South Africa and emphasizes the need for collaboration between business and government to address this pressing challenge. Mavuso points out that while businesses face various economic challenges, youth unemployment poses the most significant risk to social stability.

As the QLFS is published this week, we must set it in the context of another recent publication from the national statistical office: the census.

The automotive repair industry in South Africa has long been a male-dominated field, with limited data on the representation of female artisans. This disparity in gender representation becomes even more concerning given the country’s high youth unemployment rate, particularly in the Eastern Cape, where it surpasses the national average. In response to this challenge, a groundbreaking partnership between Wise Cracks, a local windscreen repair company, and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator was initiated. Their aim was to empower young women from townships in the Eastern Cape through entrepreneurship and to expand the market for windscreen repair, promoting both cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability.

The automotive repair industry in South Africa has long been a male-dominated field, with limited data on the representation of female artisans. This disparity in gender representation becomes even more concerning given the country’s high youth unemployment rate, particularly in the Eastern Cape, where it surpasses the national average. In response to this challenge, a groundbreaking partnership between Wise Cracks, a local windscreen repair company, and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator was initiated. Their aim was to empower young women from townships in the Eastern Cape through entrepreneurship and to expand the market for windscreen repair, promoting both cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability.

“Africa is full of doers with impact who are unfortunately not always recognised for what they do. This year’s MB100 award does just that, it proves that there is valuable work being done across the continent that yields significant social benefit. It has been incredibly gratifying to see so many African doers recognised and rewarded for their impactful work.” – Sharmi Surianarain, Chief Impact Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, and one of the African representatives on the judging panel.”

South Africa grapples with a daunting challenge – soaring youth unemployment rates that touch over 60 percent among 15 to 34-year-olds. It’s a problem that threatens not just the individuals but the entire nation’s economic well-being. Amid this crisis, one non-profit organization, Harambee, has emerged as a beacon of hope, dedicated to addressing this pressing issue head-on. But they’re not alone in this mission. LGT Venture Philanthropy stands shoulder to shoulder with Harambee, offering more than just financial support. In this article, we’ll explore how Harambee’s innovative strategy, coupled with the commitment of individuals like Nhlanhla Junior Ngulube and Lutho Mbonambi through the LGT Impact Fellowship, is making a profound impact on youth unemployment and sustainability in South Africa.

The South African job market has seen some interesting dynamics in recent times. While the aftermath of the pandemic initially showed promising signs of improvement in youth employment, it’s evident that female youth employment has hit a plateau, in stark contrast to the growth observed among their male counterparts.

In honor of Women’s Month in South Africa, we are privileged to highlight the perspectives of exceptional women leaders who have shattered barriers and paved the way for progress in their fields.

The past few months have demonstrated how multiple overlapping crises–post pandemic recovery, load-shedding and limited growth–can devastate labour market prospects for young people.

“Green Riders will transform the face of micro-mobility in South Africa,” says Green Riders executive chairperson Richard Clarke.

“If you break down all the elements that make a plumber, anyone can do that, male or female”, Mandy Keil – CEO of UPP Group (Pty) Ltd

In this month’s Woman’s Month issue of ASA (Accounting South Africa) Kasthuri shares how her training as a CA has equipped her to be a problem solver and helped her develop a tireless work ethic.

Youth Month in June is when we celebrate the potential and resilience of our young people. This past Youth Month, we continued to beat the drum of inclusion while emphasising that inclusion and growth did not have to be at odds. In fact, all our experience and evidence suggest that inclusion makes business, economic and social sense.

On 16 June South Africa commemorates the Soweto youth uprising of 1976. Youth Day is a significant event for Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, as it brings to the fore the work we do with young people to combat youth unemployment.

While debates surrounding technological progress focus predominantly on job losses, at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, we have a different perspective. By combining cutting-edge technologies with the talent and resilience of young people, we’re empowering more young people with insights about themselves to support their job-seeking journey.

The past few months have demonstrated how multiple overlapping crises–post pandemic recovery, load-shedding and limited growth–can devastate labour market prospects for young people.

Impact-led organisations – and the social impact sector more broadly – are increasingly recognising that scaling a solution does not always result in systems change. Organisations can often scale direct interventions without addressing root causes, and in so doing, fail to disrupt the system as a whole. But systems change and scaling a solution can be concurrent and interlinked, and if impact-led organisations have the right funding, mindsets and support, they can successfully pursue both pathways to make a meaningful dent in societal problems.

Solutions Insights Lab was created through a partnership between the Skoll Foundation and Solutions Insights, informed by their shared interest in identifying and interrogating what’s working — and what’s not — in the field of social innovation.

Pervasive broadband infrastructure will allow more of the country’s youth to engage in the digitally enabled jobs of the future.

The way young people navigate the world of work is changing and shifting into the digital realm. This is unquestionably true at the global level, but it’s also happening right here in South Africa.

This report estimates the size of the South African care economy through an analysis of the number of existing and potential future job opportunities in the sector. It also outlines the
potential impact of investment into the care economy including economic impact, impact on beneficiaries, and impact on the young people who could access the job opportunities
together with the broader societal impacts.

This report dive’s into each of the care economy sectors, starting with early childhood development, and then education, healthcare and domestic work. And will
provide an overview of the sector, specify key operators, outline challenges and bottlenecks,
and identify opportunities for targeted investment.

Every so often, something good happens to you. You know, the sort of thing that restores your faith in our country and its people. Something that reminds you we are resourceful and dedicated and can overcome great hardship. That thing, that ray of sunshine, came into my life last week…

Wise Cracks (based in Gqeberha) partnered with Harambee to test a business model that empowered young people to create their own businesses by providing them with portable windscreen repair kits and soft skills training.

In the February 2023 edition of the Digital Council’s CONEXT publication we meet Inge Mnukwa, a 22-year-old from Khayelitsha in Cape Town, who shares her journey from DigiLink candidate to BMW as a data tester.

The past few months have demonstrated how multiple overlapping crises–post pandemic recovery, load-shedding and limited growth–can devastate labour market prospects for young people.

In October 2022 the Presidential Employment Stimulus reached the million-participant milestone. This report outlines the initiatives that form part of this plan of action, including the contributions of the SA Youth programme.

Lansdowne Boards was looking for a partner to help them reach and employ young people into their business.

The Western Cape government recruits people for thousands of opportunities and needed help reaching and making these available to wider range of unemployed youth.

Clickatell, a global leader in chat commerce and messaging aggregation, with headquarters in Silicon Valley, USA, partnered with DigiLink to augment their software testing pipeline.

The Capitec Digital Solutions Team partnered with DigiLink to build an entry level skills pipeline into their software testing centre.

Lumotech needed a partner to help them access talented, work-ready automotive machine operators, to ensure that they could fill their vacancies quickly with reliable, trained staff.

Isuzu Motors South Africa was looking to create a talent pipeline to enhance their Youth Employment Service (YES) programme.

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator featured as case study on societal thinking for Societal Platform Udemy course.

How experience is being converted to qualification for South African plumbers

The Financial Time’s interviews the philanthropist who has already helped distribute more than $65.6bn. Now she wants to pool resources with the world’s wealthiest to make systems change at massive scale.

Based on our recently-released Breaking Barriers report, Sharmi Surianarain, our chief impact offer writes in Daily Maverick about the optimism our youth face.

This November, we investigate youth optimism and resilience and how it is fuelling earning even where jobs are scarce.

Zengeziwe Msimang, our chief communications officer was part a multi stake-holder discussion ENCA’s We The Nation.

Kasthuri Soni chats to John Mayhem on Cape Talk what needs to be done by the public and private sectors to create an environment in which South Africa’s youth can find, and keep, work.

The unemployment crisis demands a social compact across all stakeholders and institutions – to shift the levers that can accelerate youth economic inclusion, at scale.

Throw out the script and start fresh was the consensus from the Daily Maverick panel discussing challenges around the business environment and the economy at publication’s The Gathering.

Women currently make up only 3% of the South African plumbing sector but the women themselves are leading the change in this male-dominated space.

Our Chief Impact Officer, Sharmi Surianarain is recognised as a leader who is empowering women by the Sunday Times’ Celebrating Women magazine.

With the three-year investment, LGT VP will support Harambee’s new role as South Africa’s National Pathway Manager.

Despite having more educational qualifications than men, South African women remain less employed and economically active, on average.

Societal Platform unpacks Harambee’s evolution and their hand in the SA Youth partnership and explores Harambee’s intention for the next 5 years; to impact 3 million youth by creating a network of transformed work-seekers, and by enabling over 1 million pathways for them.

As we build on the successes of youth employment programmes and bring opportunities to more young South Africans, the President calls on all of society – whether as businesses, community-based organisations or places of learning – to be part of building a new future for our young people

South Africa’s unemployment rate came in at 33.9 per cent in the second quarter from 34.5 per cent in the three months to March. Zengeziwe Msimang, Harambee’s Chief Communications Officer joins CNBC Africa for more.

Looking at the continued reactions to the latest quarterly labour survey, Stats SA has recorded a second consecutive quarter of decline in South Africa unemployment rate. NewzRoom Afrika interviews Zengeziwe Msimang, Chief Engagement Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator.

On average, South African women have more educational qualifications but still remain less employed and
economically active than men. In fact, young women are 6-8% less likely to be working than men.

This reality proves Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator’s decade-long hypothesis that more schooling
and qualifications alone do not translate into economic opportunity, particularly for those most excluded
from the labour market.

The personal and social costs of the employment crisis are not gender neutral. Women experience disproportionately worse outcomes than men at every stage. While we celebrate Women’s Month, Harambee continues to shine a spotlight on the gendered dimension of youth employment in South Africa and the specific actions we can take to address this.

Launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting by The Prince’s Trust group of charities, the research shows a stark ‘Upskill Struggle’ for many young people who are at the very beginning of their careers.

This August, while we celebrate Women’s Month, Harambee continues to shine a spotlight on the gendered dimension of youth employment in South Africa, and the specific actions we can take to address this.

The South African government recently released the first, draft Country Investment Strategy which seeks to attract and facilitate direct and foreign investment in order to drive economic growth, increase employment, and reduce poverty and inequality.

This Youth Month marked 46 years since the Soweto student uprising of June 16, 1976, where students protested against the forced imposition by the Apartheid government of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction at local schools. As we think about that generation of brave young activists, we also have to contend with the new struggle faced by the current generation of young people – the battle against unemployment! A struggle exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic of the last two years.

Launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting by The Prince’s Trust group of charities, the research shows a stark ‘Upskill Struggle’ for many young people who are at the very beginning of their careers.

Resilience alone in the face of crisis is not what will get us through. It needs to be coupled with intentional investment and support to address the reality of our country’s youth unemployment crisis.

Conext, the official publication of the Digital Council Africa, interviews Harambee’s Chief Executive Officer, Kasthuri Soni for the June 2022 edition of “In conversation with sector leadership”. Soni shares her advice and learnings on what energises her at work and how to empower others.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey results suggest that the number of employed young people has increased for two consecutive quarters. While these numbers are the highest they have been in the past two years, this slight bounce-back is cause for very cautious optimism. Employment remains considerably lower than pre-lockdown.

On 16 June South Africa commemorates the Soweto youth uprising of 1976. Youth Day is a significant event for Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, as it brings to the fore the work we do with young people to combat youth unemployment.

On 16 Jun 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered an update on Presidential initiatives aimed at stimulating youth employment in South Africa. He was delivering the youth day message at a local stadium in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The Youth Day Commemoration is this year celebrated under the theme “Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow.”

Together with BluLever, Harambee’s education partner on the Skills for Prosperity (S4P) programme, aspiring plumbers are being exposed to the workplace before they embark on a lengthy and intensive training process, to check if a career in plumbing is the right fit for them.

While the youth of 1976 fought for education, the youth of 2022 is fighting to be employed. It’s hard to celebrate this day without looking at the challenges that are currently facing young people. The latest Breaking Barriers report by Harambee, details how to combat this huge crisis facing our youth.

One key sector didn’t only buck the trend of job losses during the pandemic – it actually created jobs, primarily for young people. Kasthuri Soni, CEO Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and Reshni Singh, CEO BPESA, explain how.

Resilience is a word often misused and overly celebrated. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent overlapping crises have meant many of our society’s most vulnerable have been forced to endure too much over the past few years.

Resilience is a word often misused and overly celebrated. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent overlapping crises have meant many of our society’s most vulnerable have been forced to endure too much over the past few years.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey results suggest that the number of employed young people has increased for two consecutive quarters. While these numbers are the highest they have been in the past two years, this slight bounce-back is cause for very cautious optimism. Employment remains considerably lower than pre-lockdown.

In this youth month issue of Breaking Barriers, we outline three aspects of resilience – resilient incomes, resilient sectors, and enablers of resilience – that could serve as clues to help us bounce back out of these multiple, overlapping crises.

The Watchdog interviews Waseem Carrim, CEO of the National Youth Development Agency, Zengeziwe Msimang, Chief Engagement Officer of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, and Ravi Naidoo, CEO of YES4Youth, on how to address and tackle the high unemployment rate among the youth in South Africa.

South Africa has a record high unemployment rate for job seekers between the ages of 15 to 24. On a positive note, this month’s edition of Public Sector Leaders, takes a look at public-private partnerships that assist in creating job opportunities in South Africa, especially for the youth.

Man in the Van has a conversation with Sherrie Donaldson of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, to find out more about this organisation and the important role that it plays in not only preparing youth for the workplace, but also assisting both job seekers and employers to connect with each other.

Many young South Africans lack the essential “soft” skills to succeed in the workplace, despite having the appropriate training and eagerness to work. But a Leadership Base Camp designed and developed by Harambee education partner, BluLever Education is changing all that.

This year’s Skoll World Forum took place as an all-virtual event from April 6–8, 2022. Harambee’s Sharmi Surianarain participated in the session on reimagining economic systems that work for workers.

Sifiso Buthelezi from Power FM is joined by Zengeziwe Msimang, Chief Engagement Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator to discuss the issue of rising youth unemployment.

The South African economy is shifting rapidly. Despite jobless growth, there are specific opportunities that can be unlocked for millions of young people, through targeted interventions, sector coordination and the recalibration of existing tools.

Kopano Gumbi from Newzroom Africa speaks to Zengeziwe Msimang, Chief Engagement Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator to discuss solutions for youth unemployment.

Carte Blanche interviews Zengeziwe Msimang, Chief Engagement Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and Merle Mansfield, Director at Zero Dropout Campaign to discuss school drop out rates and rising youth unemployment.

Harambee’s Chief Impact Officer, Sharmi Surianarain, talks to The Africa Report on International Women’s Day about how the personal and social costs of unemployment are not gender-neutral.

Sharmi Surianarain, Chief Impact Officer Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is interviewed on the Jet Set Breakfast discussing Harambee’s latest Breaking Barriers report and reflecting on youth unemployment in South Africa.

This International Women’s Day, Skills For Prosperity features how SA Youth is promoting youth employment in South Africa while also helping to dispel gender stereotypes, by helping young women pathway into work from which they have been typically excluded.

Harambee’s Chief Impact Officer, Sharmi Surianarain, is featured in the International Women’s Day Voices of Africa podcast, discussing how systems are shifting, and while the future of work is here, we have a very outdated approach to both education and employment, and why it’s important to take a holistic view in order to break barriers for young people.

This research report provides useful insights about the South African labour market, the role for pathway managers such as Harambee and the need for improved data to better support the occupational analysis, transitions and earnings. 

SiMoDiSA TechXit’s chairman, Pieter de Villliers, joins SABC News to chat about the barriers and opportunities that exist in the digital and ICT sector, and how they are working with Harambee and DigiLink to address the skills gap and support inclusive hiring in the sector.

In this issue of Breaking Barriers, we shift our focus from what the data tells us about who is unemployed, to where demand for work is unmet and growing and how to unlock it.

You wake up in the morning and check your emails. The first one reads: “We regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful.” It’s a refrain South Africans know all too well.

We are delighted to share that upon being selected for the Co Impact Systems Change Grant, we are continuing our partnership with Co Impact to improve the work- and education-seeking of >75% of the 4 million youth in South Africa who leave school over the next 5 years.

With matric results coming out later this month, Harambee’s Chief Engagement Officer, Zengeziwe Msimang spoke to Radio702’s Clement Manyathela about tips, tricks and high-quality advice for young people starting, or continuing their journey into work, regardless of their education status.

Sharmi Surianarain, Chief Impact Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator continues her conversation with with CID Student Ambassador, Jamar Williams, after an appearance at the virtual CID Speaker Series event.

These nonprofit institutions are “system shapers,” embedding innovation inside governments and sectors.

In this CID Harvard Speaker Series session, Harambee and its key research partners share lessons from 10 years of impact and partnership with government, business, and civil society to achieve practical and scalable impact.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Statistics reminds us just how bad youth unemployment is — and why investments such as the Basic Education Employment Intervention (BEEI) are so valuable for their capacity to create youth employment at speed and scale, enabling over half a million pathways for youth across South Africa.

In this edition of Breaking Barriers we focus on if and how public employment programmes perform at scale; in particular, whether efficiency at scale comes at the cost of inclusion and long-term dividends.

The first cohort of digitally-skilled youth have graduated as part of the digital training and mentoring programme introduced by Cape Town-based incubator DigiLink.

Read more about the partnership between J-PAL and Harambee has developed into a collaborative effort to scale up various labor market interventions in South Africa.

Sharmi Surianarain, CIO at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, reflects on the journey to becoming a national platform, underlining systems change thinking and building for scale in a recent edition of Societal Chats.

Ellen Morta, our Regional Lead for Western Cape spoke to Cape Talk’s Lester Kiewit to dispel the myth and discuss in detail the soft and hard roadblocks that young people face when trying to secure steady work.

British High Commission in South Africa works with local partners to train unemployed youth in technical skills.

The President announced the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) in February 2020. It promises a new approach to the problem of unemployment. Harambee comments in the SA Labour Bulletin.

Since the Department of Basic Education opened applications for the next cohort of school assistants just two weeks ago, over 940,000 young people have applied via the zero-rated recruitment platform called SAYouth.mobi, which forms part of the national Pathway Management Network.