South Africa targets one million jobs for young people by 2030

South Africa is stepping up efforts to tackle unemployment, with plans to create one million job placements by 2030, most of them targeted at young people, reports IOL.

More than 1.57 million young people have already been placed in earning opportunities through the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, which the government describes as central to reversing the country’s economic trajectory. 

New measures include the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Labour Activation Programme, backed by US$582 million in the 2025/26 budget, which is expected to generate more than 240,000 placements. 

South Africa is also advancing its role on the international stage, securing G20 support for the Nelson Mandela Bay Goal on Youth Employment, which seeks to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training by 5 percent by 2030.

Looking ahead, the Department of Employment and Labour aims to place one million people in jobs over the next five years through the Public Employment Services Branch and the South African Youth Trust.

Photo: PeopleImages / iStock