Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the government would continue leading from the front in creating a conducive environment for economic growth, education, safety and opportunity.
Addressing the Youth Day commemoration in the North West, Mashatile urged the private sector to help create opportunities by investing, hiring, and supporting youth innovation.
“The youth deserve nothing less than a future where their skills, creativity, and determination can flourish in a changing world. To the youth, do not give up in pursuing a better future for yourselves and the country. Your voice, your ideas, and your energy are the fuel that can rebuild this country.
“We therefore invite you to be part of the upcoming national dialogue to shape the future trajectory of our country. To parents, teachers, and communities, let us support and guide our children,” the Deputy President said on Monday.
This year’s National Youth Day event took place under the theme: ‘Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation’.
Mashatile said the government offered programmes to support young entrepreneurs, including financial assistance, business development services, and skills training.
“We need to encourage young people to look into starting their own businesses instead of waiting for employment. In this day and age, entrepreneurship is one of the keys to building a better future.”
He said the National Youth Development Agency's Grant Programme and Youth Challenge Fund were key initiatives, along with the launch of a R20 billion annual Transformation Fund to boost black-owned businesses and historically disadvantaged groups.
“These funds will act as a catalyst to attract other funds to enhance support of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. Additionally, government is promoting youth participation in the digital economy through initiatives like the Digital Economy Masterplan and the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy.”
Mashatile acknowledged that the government could do more to create an enabling environment for young people.
“We must speed up the execution of existing legislation and regulations to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of the youth.
“As part of assisting young entrepreneurs with quick turnaround on invoice payments, we have proposed a War Room on Clean Governance. Part of the main priorities of the Clean Governance War Room will be the prioritisation of the 10- to 15-day payment cycles and Transformative Procurement of small businesses.”
While challenges remain, the Deputy President reflected on some of the major victories that the democratic dispensation had registered in advancing youth empowerment since 1994.
“We have transformed the matric pass rate from 58% in 1994 to a historic 87.3% in 2024. This is the result of three decades of making education an apex priority of government.”
In higher education, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has been a catalyst for widening access to higher education for the marginalised.
The scheme has grown from a budget of R33 million in 1991, serving only 7 240 students, to over R52 billion today, funding more than 1.1 million students at universities and TVET colleges.
“As a result of this sustained investment, the demographic composition of our higher education system has been fundamentally transformed. In 1994, there were 266 190 Black students, representing 50.4% of the total student population. By 2020, that number had grown to 862 313 Black students, constituting 80% of enrolments.
“Over the past five years, several mass youth employment programmes have been implemented to respond to the challenge of youth unemployment.
“The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention was launched in 2020 to cultivate sustainable earning opportunities for young people from all walks of life.
“The latest quarterly report confirms that over 4.7 million young people are now registered on the National Pathway Management Network, with more than 1.6 million earning opportunities secured through a variety of initiatives and partnerships.
“At the beginning of this month, 205 000 young people were placed in jobs through Phase 5 of the Basic Education Employment Initiative as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus,” he said.
Government has also implemented the Social Employment Fund, managed by the Industrial Development Corporation, which has been designed to address unemployment and promote social value through "whole of society" approaches. -SAnews.gov.za
