SOUTH Africans rank unemployment as the country’s most important problem that the government needs to address, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.
Unemployment in South Africa hit a new record high of 34.4 percent in the second quarter of 2021, according to the latest data released by Statistics South Africa in August.
The data showed that the youth are even harder hit with 64 percent of young people aged 18-24 and 42.9 percent of those aged 25-35, currently being unemployed. According to the survey results by the pan-African survey research network, six in 10 respondents, or 60 percent, cited unemployment as the problem seen as a top priority for government action. Job creation has been at the top of the list for the past decade.
Over two-thirds, or 63 percent, of South Africans said they went without a cash income at least once during the year preceding the survey, including 25 percent who did so “many times” or “always”.
Many also experienced frequent shortages of food at 14 percent, clean water at 19 percent, medical care at 13 percent and cooking fuel at 17 percent. Based on these reported shortages, almost half at 47 percent of South Africans experienced either high at 14 percent or moderate at 33 percent lived poverty. Some seven in 10, 70 percent, citizens said they would be willing to pay higher taxes to fund youth programmes.
More than half at 53 percent said that if the government could increase its spending on programmes to help young people, the highest priority for additional investment should be job creation.
Afrobarometer said the lack of jobs continued to outrank crime, housing, education and corruption among citizens’ priorities for government action.
Meanwhile, to help combat the rising unemployment rates in South Africa, B2B delivery-as-a-service platform Orderin and Afrika Tikkun said it had partnered to foster an employment ready ecosystem.
The partnership aims to create a youth employment training programme, designed to mitigate barriers around financial support, training and employment opportunities for local youth.
The initiative is part of the Youth Employment Services (YES) programme, which builds partnerships between the government, civil society and business to create jobs.
As part of the programme, Afrika Tikkun would provide previously disadvantaged young people aged between 18 and 35, with work readiness training, driving lessons and license fees which will prepare them to become part of Orderin’s delivery ecosystem. Orderin will train the rider, place them in one of their delivery zones and provide ongoing mentorship.
Orderin and Afrika Tikkun Services had also partnered with McDonald’s who have donated bikes and who will provide delivery volumes for drivers through their Scoot service. For the 12-month period of the programme, the riders would be employed by Afrika Tikkun Services, and receive a regular monthly salary.
Orderin chief executive Thembani Biyam said this week that in South Africa there were 7.8 million people who are unemployed.
“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen unprecedented growth of the on-demand industry but this has not translated into increased employment opportunities. At Orderin, we are aware that our business ecosystem has the potential to make a real difference – by creating jobs and earning opportunities in that system and by helping other businesses grow their offering, and in turn, the number of people they are able to employ,” Biyam said.
He said the partnership allowed them to address some of the barriers to entry into the working world as many young South Africans did not have access to the resources required to overcome the various cost, training and employment barriers that existed in the current economy.
“Lack of access to resources, particularly for those who reside in underserved areas of South Africa, has long been a key factor in continued and rising unemployment rates for otherwise eager to learn and talented young minds,” Biyam said.
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