Breaking Barriers

Beyond the Storm: Transforming the youth employment landscape through data and bold action

by Steven | May 26, 2026 | Breaking Barriers, Featured

Fifty years after the student uprising that defined Youth Day on 16 June 1976, South Africa’s young people have secured their political freedom, but the struggle for economic inclusion continues. They face challenges on two fronts: the persistent systemic barriers of the past, and a world that is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. Current volatility in geopolitics and the resulting oil shocks are clouding the economic groundwork that must form the foundation of job growth.

Breaking Barriers

Building the Youth Economy in SA: Services, Skills, and the AI Transition

by Steven | Feb 18, 2026 | Breaking Barriers, Featured

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.

Breaking Barriers

Fueling the Engine of Self-Employment: A viable path towards sustained livelihoods for young people

by Steven | Nov 12, 2025 | Breaking Barriers, Featured

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.

Breaking Barriers

Including Women Means Powering Growth

by Delusha Pillay | Aug 13, 2025 | Breaking Barriers, Featured

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.

Breaking Barriers

Currents of Opportunity: How to Reverse the Tide on Youth Employment

by Delusha Pillay | Jun 13, 2025 | Breaking Barriers, Featured

South Africa’s macroeconomic picture remains one of sluggish, jobless growth. In the first quarter of 2025, the economy expanded by a mere 0.1%, and while accelerating growth is a priority, evidence shows that this alone will not fix our youth employment crisis.