Johannesburg – A few years ago, Thabo Ngwato’s job prospects looked bleak.

After graduating from high school, he started studying at the University of Johannesburg – but was forced to drop out when his mother retired and cash ran short.

For a year and a half he hung around his home in a poor township in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, playing football with friends and occasionally making job applications in town.

He got no response – not a surprise in a country with one of the world’s most persistently high youth unemployment rates.

In South Africa, a record 5.5 million young people are searching for work unsuccessfully, many living in slums far from big employers.

But one day a friend mentioned to Ngwato he had found work through Harambee, a South African “youth employment accelerator” that links talent-hungry businesses with promising poor kids.

“The best description I’ve heard is that we’re a dating service and a finishing school,” said Lebo Nke, an executive at the Johannesburg-based social enterprise, which since 2011 has helped more than 50,000 youths find work, including Ngwato.

For the past two years, the 23-year-old has worked at a Johannesburg call centre, earning enough to support his mother and nephew. He recently bought his first car to speed up his three-minibus trip to work.

“I know how to network, look for employment. The skills are ones I can take anywhere,” he said.

To read the rest of this article and to watch the related videos, please click here. 

Other Interesting Articles

Harambee in the News

Harambee Marks Milestone of Supporting 4 Million Young South Africans on SA Youth Platform

23 Sep 2024


Read More >

 

Harambee in the News

Prioritising Women in Male-Dominated Sectors through Targeted Job Initiatives


Read More >

 

Harambee in the News

Empowering Young Women Entrepreneurs

27 Aug 2024


Read More >