South Africa has many strong youth initiatives SAYouth.mobi, Harambee, YES Program, NYDA, and various learnerships.

But millions are still left behind.

Here’s why:

🚫 1. Information Doesn’t Reach Everyone

Most opportunities are shared online — but many young people cannot afford data, smartphones, or consistent access.

🚫 2. Qualification Filters Exclude Many

Learnerships and internships require:

• Passed interviews

• Certain subjects

• Specific documents

• Strong English

• Confidence

Many youth who fail these filters are pushed back into unemployment.

🚫 3. Rejection Creates Hopelessness

Psychologically, rejection hurts more when you already feel discouraged.

Some youth stop applying altogether.

🚫 4. No career guidance after matric

Schools often fail to guide young people on:

• career paths

• subject choices

• TVET routes

• apprenticeships

• entrepreneurship pathways

Young people finish matric with no idea “what now?”

🚫 5. Lack of experience traps youth

You need experience to get a job — but you need a job to get experience.
This circle traps thousands.

📍 3. Youth Unemployment Is Not a Youth Problem, It’s a System Problem

It is easy to blame young people for being unemployed.
But the truth is unemployment is a result of:

• systemic inequality

• poor education pipelines

• limited access to opportunities

• rising cost of living

• lack of digital access

• rejection from formal programmes

• broken rural development systems

Most youth are trying — but the system is not reaching them.