Jessica Hawkey | Managing Director| redAcademy | mail me |
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) from Stats SA shows South Africa’s unemployment rate increased by 1.7% from Q1 of 2025. It now stands at 33.2% for Q2. This may not seem like a large jump, but it translates to 140,000 people. Even a slight rise in unemployment, therefore, has a real impact.
The youth unemployment figures paint an even bleaker picture. Nearly half of South Africa’s young people, about 4.9 million, are without work. While there is no doubt that this is a crisis requiring action, addressing it effectively requires more than just skills development.
Beyond temporary fixes
If we attempt to reduce unemployment by providing skills only for seasonal work, we will not make a lasting impact. Similarly, training people for jobs that are scarce misses the point entirely. Long-term thinking is essential.
Skills development alone is insufficient. Often, it does not create meaningful change. It is like giving someone a key to a door that does not exist.
South Africa urgently needs sustainable jobs that provide stability, reliable income, and career growth opportunities. Skills development matters because it can transform lives only when linked to real employment pathways. It is more impactful to change the life of one or two individuals than to run a massive skills programme for 10,000 people without considering where they end up after training.
Investing in real impact
If your approach to skills development is a box-ticking exercise, you spend money without accounting for the return on investment. This applies to both businesses and course participants. Quite simply, it does not make business sense.
Consider the multiplier effect of a single employed person. Someone with a steady job can support themselves, reducing their dependence on social grants or family. Employed people pay taxes, which improve public services such as roads, clinics and schools. They also buy from local shops, use local services and may even employ others. All of this stimulates the local economy.
Another benefit is the hope it creates. Seeing someone succeed demonstrates what is possible. But this ripple effect only happens when we create clear pathways and real opportunities for people to thrive. This is why skills development matters. It is about more than training; it is about building tangible career outcomes.
Aligning training with opportunity
This approach goes beyond feel-good stories or moral obligations. Making an impact on someone’s life should also benefit your business. We have demonstrated this since its launch in 2022. Over the years, it has been proven that young people have the drive, determination and potential to add tangible value when given genuine career opportunities rather than just training.
Within the tech industry, many jobs are available. However, theoretical training alone does not equip young people with work-ready skills. To fill these roles, the country must provide relevant training and practical work experience. This will allow young people to take up open junior vacancies in corporate businesses.
To drive real change and tackle unemployment, we need solutions that go beyond traditional skills development. Workshops must be paired with initiatives that open doors to employment and provide long-term job stability. Skills development matters because, without aligning skills to real-world opportunities, training alone cannot deliver lasting economic or social impact.
