By Jessica Hawkey, MD of redAcademy
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) from Stats SA shows that South Africa’s unemployment rate increased by 1.7% from Q1 of 2025 rising to 33.2% in Q2. This might not seem like a very big jump, but when you consider that this amounts to 140,000 people, the impact of even a slight rise in unemployment really hits home. And the youth unemployment numbers, the picture is even bleaker, with close to half of the young people in South Africa (4.9 million) without work. While there’s no doubt that this is a crisis and action needs to be taken, really addressing this situation is about more than just skills development.
If we’re trying to alleviate unemployment by giving people skills to do seasonal work, we’re not going to make a real change. If we want to bring down unemployment but we’re training people to do jobs that are hard to come by, we’re missing the point. And if we’re not thinking long-term in the efforts we’re making to tackle unemployment, we’re only doing half the work. The truth is, skills development on its own is not enough and often does not actually make a real impact. It’s a bit like giving someone a key to a door that doesn’t exist. What South Africa really needs is sustainable jobs that provide stability, a solid income, and career growth opportunities.
I would argue that it’s more impactful to really change the life of one or two people than it is to run a massive skills development programme for 10,000 with no level of investment in where they end up once the training is done. If your approach to skills development is just a box-ticking exercise, you have to realise that you’re spending money without considering the ROI, for both the business and the course participants. This, quite simply, doesn’t make business sense.
Think about the multiplier effect of a single employed person. Someone with a steady, reliable job can look after themselves, which reduces their dependence on social grants and support from others. When people are employed, they pay taxes, which contribute to better public services (roads, clinics, schools) and have knock-on benefits for entire communities. Additionally, an employed person will buy from local shops and use services in their community; they might even employ others, all of which feeds back into the local economy. Another benefit one can’t underestimate is the hope that it brings to others, showcasing what is possible. But this positive ripple effect only happens when we create clear pathways and opportunities for people to thrive.
I want to stress that this goes beyond ‘feel-good stories’ and ‘doing the right thing’. Making an impact on someone’s life should also make an impact on your business. And we’ve seen how this can happen time and time again, since redAcademy launched in 2022. Over the years, we’ve proven that there is talent out there, that these young people have the drive and determination to succeed, and that they can add tangible value when given real career opportunities, not just training.
Within the tech industry, there are jobs available, but theoretical training doesn’t equip young people with the work-ready skills needed to fill these roles. As a country, we need to offer relevant training and work experience so that young people can fill open junior vacancies within corporate businesses. To drive real change and tackle our unemployment challenges, we need solutions that go beyond traditional skills development and training workshops, as well as initiatives that open doors to employment and provide long-term job stability.
Within the tech industry, there are jobs available, but theoretical training doesn’t equip young people with the work-ready skills needed to fill these roles. As a country, we need to offer relevant training and work experience so that young people can fill open junior vacancies within corporate businesses. To drive real change and tackle our unemployment challenges, we need solutions that go beyond traditional skills development and training workshops, as well as initiatives that open doors to employment and provide long-term job stability.
