Larisha Naidoo
WITH the rising levels of unemployment in South Africa, many are looking for ways to earn a living and make ends meet. A report from Statistics South Africa revealed that in the third-quarter of 2023, more than 43% of the youth aged 15 to 34 were unemployed.
Here are some tips to help you become employable:
Upskilling
Close to most of South Africa’s informal settlements are community centres and places where young people can go to access opportunities for skilling in industries that have a high demand for skilled individuals.
Young people can also explore voluntary work to develop their skills. These opportunities are available in many community projects funded by government and non-profit organisations.
Entrepreneurship
There are numerous enterprise development (ED) programmes in the country with a particular focus on youth-owned enterprises. Some of them help aspiring entrepreneurs through the entire process – from conceptualising the business idea, drawing up a business plan, teaching business skills and mentorship to grow the business, to supporting with loan funding to further expand the business. Sometimes the only thing you need is an idea and determination to see it through.
Entrepreneurship is a viable route for unemployed young people to participate meaningfully in the economy and ultimately, also employ other young people as the business grows.
Flexibility
Young people should look at industries where opportunities exist, and then adapt their initial plans. Sometimes passion may lead to studies in a particular field, but job and/or entrepreneurship opportunities exist in other fields that are also of interest and enable economic participation. Young people must be flexible to take best advantage of opportunities outside of their set career plan.
Maungo Cruise Mokgoje, 29, became jobless during the pandemic when his internship as an assistant planner in merchandising was cut short. He tried his hand at farming for a year, but he needed income in the shorter term. So he started The Cruise Hygiene and Cleaning Services, which specialises in the cleaning of couches, carpets, mattresses and even cars.
The business traded informally for two years, but with the help of Zimele and their partner 3M, it was registered in January 2022 and Mokgoje was provided with a variety of support. Five years in, Mokgoje employs five permanent staff and even more temporary staff depending on the workload. He has a solid base and is providing services to both companies and individuals who are regular customers.
There is more than one route to finding employment. We have seen that young people who are willing to see opportunity and adapt accordingly are the ones who find meaningful employment and start successful businesses. You can also start by identifying a demand for a service in your community and then finding small ways in which you can provide that service.
It can be disheartening if you have been looking for work unsuccessfully for several years, but I urge young people not to give up – the opportunities are out there.
* Naidoo is head of Anglo American Zimele