Cyril Ramaphosa Calls for New Youth Employment Strategies As South Africans Question His Promises

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africa to fundamentally change its approach to youth unemployment, warning that repeating past strategies will not produce different results.

Speaking at the SA National Leadership Convening on Youth Employment on 22 October, Ramaphosa said the country must be willing to challenge entrenched practices and dismantle unnecessary barriers to work.

We cannot solve the challenge of youth unemployment simply by doing more of what we have always done.

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate for the 15–24 age group climbed to 62.8% in Quarter two of 2026. South Africans pushed back against Ramaphosa’s address, questioning whether it would translate into meaningful action.

One critic noted:

You can start by cleaning the country of illegal immigrants that will help create employment for the youth, they simply cannot compete with cheap labour from the rest of Africa.

Briefly News reported in February 2026 that Sihle Lonzi criticised the government over youth unemployment. The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Member of Parliament also criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa over the lack of jobs.