With youth unemployment continuing to climb, young South Africans are being urged to consider entrepreneurship as a meaningful alternative to traditional employment.
Statistics South Africa revealed last week that the national unemployment rate has risen once again to 33.2%, leaving one-third of the country’s workforce without jobs.
Experts say that encouraging young people to start small businesses not only creates opportunities for them personally but also contributes to stimulating the economy and easing the broader jobs crisis. To this end, various programmes and mentorship initiatives are being rolled out to equip young people with the skills and resources needed to build sustainable enterprises.
However, the journey is not without its challenges.
Nkosinathi Mahlangu, Youth Unemployment Portfolio Head at the Momentum Group, told VOC News that while entrepreneurship holds promise, it requires careful support and structure.
“Entrepreneurship has become the go-to space as far as getting young people economically active as we’re going through this high unemployment rate as a country. However, there needs to be steps in place for entrepreneurship as well so that we empower participating young people in a manner that elevates them, rather than frustrates them, to the point that they feel demoralized. We need to have a properly defined process, as it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Listen to the full interview with Mahlangu below:
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
