Unemployed youth attribute the high unemployment rate to corruption and nepotism, and highlight the challenges they encounter in finding job opportunities amid the ongoing rise in unemployment.
This comes after Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) released their Quarterly Labour Force Survey for 2024 which revealed that the unemployment rate in the country has risen to 32.9% in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 from 32.1% in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.
The research revealed that the amount of unemployed people rose from 7.89 million in Q4 of 2023 to 8.22 million in Q1 of 2024.
“The number of unemployed persons increased by 330,000 to 8.22 million. Additionally, the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 214,000 to 13.1 million, while discouraged work-seekers decreased by 1,000 in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023,” according to a statement.
StatsSA said that the number of employed persons in SA increased by 22,000 to 16.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.
Sarah Manamela, a 24-year-old from Mamelodi, in the north-east of Pretoria, bemoaned that nepotism within various workplaces is the main cause of the increasing unemployment in the country.
"We know that if you don't have connections with someone who is already employed within a company or government department you won’t get employed.”
She said that she spends close to R500 a month to travel to five different locations in pursuit of job opportunities, yet without any success.
“It's extremely difficult to secure a job, and it's challenging because we spend a lot of money in travelling to seek employment," she told IOL News.
Meanwhile, the provinces that recorded increases in employment when compared with the previous quarter were KwaZulu-Natal (35,000), Gauteng (26,000), and the Northern Cape (4,000).
StatsSA said that the youth, aged 15 to 34, continue to face challenges in the job market, with the total number of unemployed youth rising by 236,000 to 4.9 million, while the number of employed youth decreased by 7,000 to 5.9 million. As a result, the youth unemployment rate increased by 1.3% from 44.3% in Q4: 2023 to 45.5% in Q1: 2024.
Dikeledi Botlholo, a 27-year-old from Mokopane in Limpopo, echoed Manamela's sentiment, emphasising that corruption also contributes significantly to the increasing unemployment rate.
"Corruption is the root cause of this crisis, and it's undeniable that our leaders' involvement in corruption scandals hampers job creation. Additionally, nepotism across different job sectors also worsens the issue of unemployment," she said.
Botlholo added that the job requirements demanded by employers make it challenging for young people to secure jobs.
"Many jobs require over two years of work experience, which we don’t have, leading to rejection. I think the government should address this issue so that even those without experience can apply for jobs," she added.
Anna Kwanaite, 25, from Mokopane, who is a recent graduate from Unisa with a bachelor’s degree in education, highlighted the difficulties she faces in her field.
She pointed out that government schools suffer from a shortage of teachers, leading to excessive workloads for those already employed and causing them to teach three subjects in five grades.
"The government needs to create more teaching positions to alleviate the burden on educators, ensuring that each teacher is not tasked with teaching multiple subjects across various grades. By doing that, they can combat the escalating unemployment rate," she said.
IOL