Cape Town — Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, said the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) has yielded positive results thus far.
In a statement, Mhlauli gave an update on the progress of the PYEI as of the third quarter of the 2024 financial year and said it was a key part of the national efforts to address the challenges of youth unemployment and ensure young South Africans have access to economic opportunities.
Launched in 2020, the PYEI is a direct response to the challenges that face young people and it sets out to prioritise actions that stimulate and aggregate demand and provide a mechanism for young people to be given opportunities and receive support that is appropriate to their pathway.
“The PYEI coordinates, accelerates, and enhances existing programmes while driving innovation and creating pathways to earning for young people at scale,” Mhlauli said.
The PYEI is focused on Four Pillars:
– Implementation of the Pathway Management Network,
– Implementation of demand-led training through a ‘pay for performance’ model
– Rollout of the revitalised National Youth Service,
– And Implementation of interventions to stimulate local economies through the establishment of Local Ecosystem Enablement Fund.
Statement by Deputy Minister in The Presidency, @NoncebaMhlauli, on the occasion of the media briefing on the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) 3rd Quarter Report, Africa Tikkun Centre, Mfuleni, Cape Town https://t.co/EcIqJo5Nf5#SONA2025 pic.twitter.com/VmiXnoWVfW
— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) February 12, 2025
With the PYEI entering its fifth year, it has made significant strides to unlock earning opportunities for the youth and equip them with skills to succeed in the labour market. Mhlauli listed some of the notable achievements from the third quarter (October – December 2024):
- 53 379 earning opportunities secured through the National Pathway Management Network (NPMN), bringing the total to 1.57 million opportunities since the inception of the PYEI.
- 38 864 young people received earning opportunities through the SA youth platform.
- 14 515 opportunities secured through the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA).
- 14 600 young entrepreneurs received financial and non-financial opportunities through the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD).
- The Revitalised National Youth Service (NYS) Phase 3 was successfully launched, with 13 568 recruits, adding to a total of 82 378 youth placed in service opportunities.
Mhlauli also highlighted the effectiveness of the PYEI and said the Jobs Outcome Fund, an R300 million initiative, was creating opportunities for employment through digital inclusion, enterprise development and work-integrated learning.
The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund ensures that funds are allocated to implementing organisations upon successful placement and sustained employment.
More than 3 300 young people have enrolled in training programmes, with 1 603 placed in jobs, and 1 247 receiving employment for three months.
Mhlauli referenced President Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA and encouraged businesses to support the Youth Employment Service, saying interventions would align with the broader goal of transitioning young people from learning to earning.
She maintained that there was still work to be done.
“The road to eradicating youth unemployment is not a short one, but through continued collaboration and commitment, we will continue to break barriers and create real, lasting change,” she said,
She encouraged the youth of South Africa to strive to achieve their goals, secure their future and ensure that every young person in South Africa has access to opportunities to thrive.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@PresidencyZA
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
