... As South Africa prepares to mark Youth Month in June against the backdrop of persistently high youth unemployment, questions are growing around whether corporate skills development spending is delivering meaningful economic returns - for employers or for young people entering the workforce. The numbers make the problem stark. Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey places youth unemployment among people ...

... sites. Ali said the latest labour market data should serve as a warning. "South Africa urgently needs more targeted, practical and occupationally aligned training pathways that connect people to the skills employers actually require." NovaNews WhatsApp Channel is LIVE! Get the stories that matter, straight to your phone. Click here to join NovaNews on WhatsApp or scan the QR code ...

... group, have been classified as not in employment, education, or training (NEET). These statistics do not merely reflect a worsening employment crisis; they indicate a deep-rooted workforce-readiness and skills-alignment challenge that South Africa must urgently confront. According to Muhammad Ali, CEO of WWISE, a consultancy specialising in various training and skills development programmes, the QLFS Q1:2026 data exposes significant labour-market ...

... shortages. Conversely, segments such as call centres face an oversupply of skills and high volumes of applications for each role, with many candidates overqualified for the role. "The mismatch between the available talent and labour market demand is a serious structural challenge for businesses, jobseekers and the broader economy," says Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet, South Africa's leading ...

... people in emerging economies, with a particular focus on girls, who make up 52% of participants to date. Operating across Armenia, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, and South Africa, the coalition supports young people to build practical digital skills through an innovative curriculum, community-based learning programmes, and in-person and online game hackathons. Bitget joined the coalition in June 2025 ...

... Visser, the Group COO at SA Business School and Alefbet Learning. Supplied by SA Business School At its best, skills development is one of the most practical and profound socio-economic levers available to corporate South Africa. It creates jobs. It builds confidence. It develops workplace capability. It transforms societies. It opens doors for young people who would otherwise remain locked ...

... is an incredible business opportunity for both of us." RedAcademy's work with Lewis Group is a great example of a company actively investing in building local talent, says Hawkey. "They're not just talking about it. This isn't lip service. This is years of real investment into addressing the skills shortage in South Africa," she adds. "The impact of this partnership ...

... At Enlit Africa 2026, the Energy & Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSETA) is reinforcing the message that skills development is not a supporting function, but a strategic driver of transformation across South Africa's energy sector. As the education training authority in the energy and water sector, EWSETA plays a pivotal role in aligning human capital development with the rapidly ...

... Despite South Africa's urgent need for investment, innovation and economic growth, applications for the very visa categories most closely linked to these objectives, including critical skills and business visas, remain strikingly low. According to the approved White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (CIRP), Critical Skills Visa applications accounted for only 5% of all visa applications received by the ...

... facility avoids an estimated 25,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, demonstrating that digital infrastructure and sustainability advance together. Bridging the skills gap Infrastructure alone isn't enough. We need people with the skills to use it. The digital skills gap in South Africa represents both our greatest challenge and most significant opportunity. AWS has trained over 200,000 South Africans on cloud ...

... a coherent policy framework that promotes skills development, productivity, investment, infrastructure improvement, technology transfer, and competitive standards in international markets. Programme director, I must reiterate that achieving the goals of Agenda 2063 requires viewing regional integration as a practical endeavour rather than just a policy exercise. South Africa, in its chairpersonship of the Agenda 2063 Ministerial Follow-up Committee, will continue ...

... empowerment and skills development initiatives. Through its long-standing partnership with Glen Oaks Academy in Kensington, learners participating in Lesco's work readiness programme will now gain exposure to advanced manufacturing, AI and automation systems. "We also hope that this investment into technological and AI advancements will help inspire the youth from South Africa's differently abled community. By introducing AI and automation ...

... the availability of skills needed to support it. Across the continent, organisations are under growing pressure to build AI capability quickly, as shortages in specialised talent increasingly affect innovation, competitiveness, and the ability to fully participate in the global digital economy. A 2024 ICT Skills Survey found that more than 28,000 high-end developer and cybersecurity roles in South Africa had ...

... people in emerging economies, with a particular focus on girls, who make up 52% of participants to date. Operating across Armenia, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, and South Africa, the coalition supports young people to build practical digital skills through an innovative curriculum, community-based learning programmes, and in-person and online game hackathons. Bitget joined the coalition in June 2025 ...

... Rethinking Professional Development In South Africa's ECD Sector South Africa's ECD workforce faces well-documented skills and capacity challenges. Multiple national studies, such as Thrive by Five and evaluations captured in the South African Early Childhood Review, show that qualifications alone have not translated into consistent quality learner outcomes, particularly in under-resourced settings. While formal training provides essential foundations, professional competence ...

... truth is it's a safety-critical role. Behind every smile is a highly trained professional prepared for emergencies," she says. For those interested in pursuing a career as cabin crew in South Africa, the minimum requirements generally include a Grade 12 qualification, strong communication skills, good health, the ability to swim, and a clean criminal record. "While previous customer service or ...

... Motocross Championship. Saturday's second round of the club race series will give local riders the perfect opportunity to sharpen their skills ahead of the national showdown on a track that has been closed since Sunday. Widely regarded as one of the premier motocross circuits in South Africa, the Tempe track has been freshly prepared for the upcoming national event. It ...

... with the rest held by CG Africa Holdings and other shareholders. This strategic investment marks an important step in strengthening South Africa's industrial capability and supporting long-term economic growth. It will support continued investment in capability, technology and skills, while deepening capacity to deliver complex projects and enhancing responsiveness across operations. Backed by the GEPF and the PIC as long-term ...

... As South Africa prepares to mark Youth Month in June against the backdrop of persistently high youth unemployment, questions are growing around whether corporate skills development spending is delivering meaningful economic returns - for employers or for young people entering the workforce. The numbers make the problem stark. Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey places youth unemployment among people ...

... taught architecture both in South Africa and at overseas universities. On Saturday, she explained that part of her curiosity came from teaching first-year students for 16 years. They were fresh out of our school system, which demands conformity, not creativity. How was she to help her students learn the skills of being creative? She began reading about it. Her reading ...