Tag: SkillsDevelopment

New technology is putting training creation into the hands of employees and subject experts. Meanwhile, the global corporate e-learning market is heading towards US$335 billion. The market is forecast to more than triple in size this decade as employers face growing pressure to continuously reskill their workforces. However, this surge in demand is also exposing a fundamental problem.

Every employer needs a reliable supply of people who can serve customers, support growth and develop into tomorrow's experienced workforce. At the same time, millions of young South Africans are ready to work, learn and contribute, yet many remain disconnected from opportunities that could help them build careers and gain experience. For employers, this represents one of the country's greatest untapped talent opportunities.

The labour market in South Africa faces two constant challenges - persistent skills shortages and a high unemployment rate. Despite the market being flooded with job-seekers, businesses often struggle to find suitable talent when they need it. This is why Temporary Employment Services (TES) providers are crucial for connecting employers with ready-to-work candidates. However, a stereotype persists.

South Africa's hospitality sector needs nearly two million workers by 2032. The talent exists, but the pipeline needs work. The hospitality industry has a habit of describing its talent problem in passive terms. The gap exists. Standards have slipped. Graduates are arriving underprepared. It is as though the situation is weather. It is something that happens to the industry rather than something the industry has, in part, created.

During my time working at South African Breweries (SAB), I watched young graduates arrive on the factory floor holding hard-earned chemistry degrees. They possessed brilliant theoretical minds. They understood molecular bonds and complex reactions on paper. Yet, when a critical machine on the production line broke down, those degrees often could not get the line moving again.

Skills development planning is no longer viewed as an administrative compliance exercise under South Africa's Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) framework. Companies must now demonstrate clear alignment between training initiatives and measurable transformation outcomes. Skills development remains a priority element of the B-BBEE scorecard.

We know where the jobs are, and we know our young people are eager to work. So why aren’t we connecting the dots? South Africa has 200,000 agricultural jobs waiting to be filled. We also have a thriving Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. This sector includes call centres, customer service, data processing and back-office administration. It can absorb entry-level workers at scale.

Rising unemployment, growing labour underutilisation and deepening skills mismatches continue to expose a widening disconnect between available jobs and workplace-ready talent in South Africa. As a result, the unemployment crisis is no longer only about job scarcity. It now also reflects serious workforce-readiness challenges.

Two remarkable economic turnarounds demonstrate what becomes possible when countries support the right sectors, develop relevant skills and strengthen cooperation between government and business. We exist to create genuine and lasting economic opportunities for young South Africans. We constantly evaluate where we invest, what we support and why those decisions matter.

South Africa's hospitality sector faces a paradox. Guests have returned, occupancy rates are recovering, and travel demand has regained strong momentum. According to Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, South Africa welcomed 10.485 million international visitors in 2025. This marked a historic record and surpassed pre-pandemic figures.