Care work, both paid and unpaid, plays a central role in enabling all other work and economic productivity to happen. The care economy is also expected to be the fastest-growing sector of work in the world with predictions that it could add up to 150 million jobs by 2030. Worldwide, women and girls contribute more than 70% of both paid and unpaid caregiving hours and perform more than 75% of unpaid care work.

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.

Source: Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and the International Development Research Centre Canada, August 2022. https://www.harambee.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sizing-the-Opportunity-in-South-Africas-Care-Economy.pdf