Tag: unemployment

South Africa’s migration anger may be less about borders than personal debt, rising costs and a shared household finance crisis. Every Africa Month, South Africa marks the African Union’s 63-year-old dream of shared sovereignty, shared prosperity and a borderless continent built together. Africa Day fell on 25 May. The flags went up. The speeches were made.

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.

Meet the inspiring kasipreneurs of the informal economy, from bakers to backroom rental barons, coffee innovators to goat breeders, kasi delivery people to spaza innovators, mattress makers, backroom builders, vetkoek fryers and chicken dust queens, kota franchises and backyard auto mechanics. These kasipreneurs not only sustain their communities but also drive considerable economic growth and social improvement.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into workforce planning is reshaping professional practices across industries. This includes the specialised field of psycho-legal practice within industrial and organisational psychology (IOP). In South Africa, psycho-legal assessments play a critical role in legal proceedings. These cases often involve workplace injuries, loss of earnings and psychological impacts.

In South Africa, we sit with a paradox that should concern every business leader. On one hand, unemployment remains stubbornly high, particularly among young people. On the other hand, organisations are grappling with a deepening skills crisis.

South Africa's youth are navigating a complex financial landscape. They face high unemployment, limited financial literacy and the rise of digital credit options. As of the first quarter of 2025, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15 - 24) stands at a staggering 62.4%.

In an era increasingly shaped by rapidly evolving technology, many equate good leadership with a calculated focus on profit maximisation. This trend often creates the belief that society’s future depends solely on innovations in algorithms and devices. However, my experience leading South Africa's foremost home services platform has taught me otherwise.

South Africa can sometimes appear to be awash with occult crime, stories of satanist conspiracies, witchcraft accusations, muti murders and demonic possession frequently surface in the media. A trawl through our national news suggests a society at war with the forces of evil.

Poor candidate experiences in corporate hiring not only drive away top talent but also inflict lasting damage on company reputations. Organisations would do well to consider the unintended impact of flawed hiring practices, a leadership expert says. Ultimately, losing talent, losing trust become a predictable outcome when companies fail to value candidate experience.

Cabinet announced on 28 May 2025 that it has approved both the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) 2025 White Paper and the Employment Services Amendment Bill, 2021 (ESAB). These will now proceed to implementation and submission to Parliament.