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

GAUTENG — 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.

The President’s address comes as South Africa faces a staggering youth unemployment rate, which climbed to 62.8% for the 15–24 age group in the second quarter of 2026. Despite various government initiatives, many South Africans have expressed skepticism regarding the effectiveness of these promises, questioning whether the latest rhetoric will translate into meaningful, tangible action.

During the event, Ramaphosa emphasized the need for a shift in how both the public and private sectors approach recruitment, specifically urging employers to reconsider the use of experience benchmarks that often exclude young job seekers from entering the labour market.