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2 days ago

Informative Trust High 80% #budget-2026 #youth-unemployment #nyda #employment #skills-development #entrepreneurship #south-africa #economy #infrastructure #venture-capital

NYDA director urges government to define 'decent work' in Budget 2026 youth employment strategy

Podcast Briefing 2:45

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Key Strategic Points

  1. 1 Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge with long-term consequences for South Africa's welfare state and pension sustainability, as fewer working people will need to support retirees.
  2. 2 The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention has demonstrated success as a 'center of excellence' in transitioning young people to work or self-employment and should be expanded.
  3. 3 Government's planned trillion-rand infrastructure investment presents an opportunity to coordinate youth employment and skills development through direct project participation.
  4. 4 The NYDA director emphasized the need to clearly define 'decent work' in the digital economy, particularly in growing sectors like e-commerce and tourism, rather than simply filling employment gaps.
  5. 5 South Africa's pool of venture capital for entrepreneurs must be significantly increased, as entrepreneurship relies on probability and requires sustained investment to improve success rates.
  6. 6 Government procurement spending of one trillion rands annually should be leveraged as part of industrial policy to grow strategic sectors with young people at the center.
  7. 7 The African Continental Free Trade Agreement creates opportunities for young African entrepreneurs, as over 60% of the continent's population is under age 35 and represents the largest consumer group for the next decade.

Notable Quotes

“For me, that always sounds really dodgy because it's like, you know, it sounds like you're just filling a gap. You actually need to nurture someone so that they can actually grow and be productive to society.”

— Jiso Kubeka, Director, National Youth Development Agency

“The funding question the pool of risk capital in South Africa needs to be increased because entrepreneurship is most chances it's really a probabilities game. The more you invest in a particular project or an asset the greater your chances for success.”

— Jiso Kubeka, Director, National Youth Development Agency

“We're very clear about what decent work actually means in the digital economy...even in that space, what does decent work look like?”

— Jiso Kubeka, Director, National Youth Development Agency

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