Keynote address by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile on the occasion of the National Youth Day commemoration, NWU Rag Farm Stadium, Potchefstroom, North-West Province

Programme Directors, Minister Mckenzie and MEC Thlapi;
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga;
Premier of the North-West Province, Mr Lazarus Mokgosi;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present;
Director-General in The Presidency and Secretary of Cabinet, Ms Phindile Baleni;
Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency, Ms Asanda Luwaca;
Members of the North-West Executive Council;
Executive Mayor of Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, Cllr Nikiwe Num;
Mayor of JB Marks Local Municipality, Cllr Gaba Thithiba Ka Qhele;
Mayors, Councillors and Makgosi who are with us today;
Acting Chief Executive Officer of NYDA, Mr Mafika Duma and the Management team;
Heads of private sector entities and civil society organisations;
The Youth of South Africa;
Government Officials;
Members of the media;
All Exhibitors with us today;
Esteemed Guests;
Dumelang, Good Morning, Avuxeni!

Today we honour and pay tribute to the valiant and fearless young people who stood at the forefront of the liberation struggle on June 16, 1976. Regardless of their youthful stature, the youth of 1976 stood strong in the face of the oppressive system of the apartheid regime. They faced death with unwavering determination, fuelled by a vision of equal rights and a more just society.

As President Nelson Mandela recounted in his address on Youth Day on June 16, 1996, “When freedom beckoned, you faced death and bullets and did not flinch; you responded to the call to build the underground and the mass democratic movement; you swelled the ranks of the people’s army and acquitted yourselves with distinction on the battlefield.” 

It has been 49 years since that significant day, yet we will always remember the student leaders like Tsietsi Mashinini and Hastings Ndlovu who orchestrated the mass demonstration that transformed our nation. We must never forget those who joined the long list of martyrs and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. These are the young brave souls who fought for a dream that they never saw come to life, a dream that continues to inspire and guide us. 

By taking action in 1976 against an enforced Afrikaans language as the exclusive medium of instruction in African schools, those young learners were carrying out the path of struggle defined by their forefathers through the Freedom Charter.  

Ten days from now, we will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter. The adoption of the Freedom Charter on June 26, 1955, and the Soweto Uprising on June 16, 1976, are significant milestones in South Africa's journey towards freedom.
Both occurring under unique circumstance but inspired by the shared vision of a free and equal South Africa for all.

The Freedom Charter continues to be a pillar of South Africa's Constitution, influencing the political and social climate of the country. It demands that "The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall Be opened". 

This clause signifying the Charter's commitment to equality and access to education for all South Africans. 

In this regard, this year's theme, "Skills for a Changing World—Embracing Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation," is more relevant to the noble cause for which the generation of 1976 and those who came before them were prepared to lay down their lives.

It embodies the essence of what we aim to achieve together – a future where our youth are not just empowered, but actively engaged in shaping a better tomorrow.

Programme Directors,

The reality is that many young people in South Africa are not living the future they hoped for. 

They are confronted by high levels of unemployment, inequality, and a lack of access to opportunities, especially in the digital world. As Government, we acknowledge that, for these young people, their reality remains untenable, undesirable, and unsustainable. 

According to Stats SA, young people between the ages of 15 and 34 make up just over half of South Africa’s working-age population, about 20.9 million people. However, far too many of them can’t find work, especially those between the ages of 15 and 24. 

Currently, South Africa’s unemployment rate has gone up to 32.9%, and if we include people who have given up looking for work, the rate jumps to 43.1%.

The latest data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that more than half of young people aged between 18 and 34 are unemployed. This is one of the highest levels we have ever seen, and it is of grave concern.

What is also deeply worrying is the growing number of young people who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training. The current figure stands at about 3.8 million. Among 15–24-year-olds, 37.1% fall into this category, with young women being slightly more affected than young men. If we look at the wider age group of 15–34 years, the rate is even higher at 45.1%. Even our graduates are struggling, with nearly 1 in 4 graduates (23.9%) struggling to gain employment. 

This is more than just an economic issue. It is a moral emergency. It affects our whole society and demands urgent action from all sectors — government, business, and communities at large.

We must fix the structural challenges in our economy to address inequality and skills mismatch between education and what the job market needs. 

In this regard, the government is collaborating with stakeholders like Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator to combat youth economic exclusion by addressing the demand-supply mismatch in the South African labour market.  

Moreover, 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.

Our National Development Plan: Vision 2030 highlights the importance of small businesses and entrepreneurship in creating jobs and growing the economy. We must encourage our youth to trust and believe in their ability to start and grow their own businesses—and we must give them the tools and support to do so.

As the Human Resource Development Council aims to reduce the scourge of poverty, inequality and unemployment through creating platforms for social partners to deliberate on the country’s skills and human capital development. 

The Council is also working to strengthen partnerships between TVET colleges and various stakeholders, including industry and employers, to ensure that training aligns with the needs of the labour market.

We believe that providing young people with the skills they need to become entrepreneurs or employable is crucial to our society's success.  

Therefore, this year’s theme, "Skills for a changing world – empowering youth for meaningful economic participation" is both timely and relevant.

It illuminates the urgent need to future-proof our young people with adaptable skills and the necessary capabilities to navigate the evolving labour market and contribute meaningfully to the growth of our economy and industries in an era of rapid technological and social transformation.

Our 4th Industrial Revolution Report makes it clear that "our success in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution will depend on our ability to unleash the full scientific, industrial, and creative potential of South African society. In order to prosper in this new industrial era, we must not only revolutionise our learning, work, and living practices, but also embrace continuous innovation, adaptability, and unconventional thinking”.

Compatriots, 

As Government, we offer various programmes to support young entrepreneurs, including financial assistance, business development services, and skills training.

The National Youth Development Agency's Grant Programme and Youth Challenge Fund are key initiatives, along with the launch of a R20 billion annual Transformation Fund for the next five years, aiming 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.

These initiatives inspire hope in our quest to create employment and entrepreneurship for young people. 

However, I believe that young people require more than hope and resilience to thrive.

They need policy support and access to capital and markets for their goods and services. And above all, they need a coordinated ecosystem that recognises that, by working together, we can do more to create an enabling environment for young people. 

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 – 15-day payment cycles and Transformative Procurement of small businesses. This is doable! 

We must speed up the execution of existing legislation and regulations to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of the youth. 

Programme Directors, 

While challenges remain, allow me to briefly reflect on some of the major victories that our democratic dispensation has registered in advancing youth empowerment since 1994.

Firstly, at the Basic Education level, 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.

Our basic education system has gradually transformed whilst redressing the generational legacies of Verwoerd's Bantu Education System. While we are not yet where we wish to be, we are also far from the inequality and disregard inherited in 1994.

Secondly, in higher education, our National Student Financial Aid Scheme, a catalyst for widening access to higher education for the marginalised has grown from a modest 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. 

In 2017, our government restructured NSFAS, converting it from a predominantly loan-based scheme into a grant system to ensure that higher education does not become a debt sentence for our young people.

This support includes the NYDA's Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship, which continues to advance the educational aspirations of youth from rural and township communities.

We have also met and surpassed gender parity in higher education participation rates, with over 60% of graduates from our colleges and universities now being young women.

As the demand for education continues to grow, it is only natural that challenges around accommodation and the administration of NSFAS have emerged. 

However, we are encouraged by the efforts of the Department of Higher Education and Training, which are currently underway to ensure that no deserving student is left behind.

Programme Director,

Over the past five years, several mass youth employment programmes have been implemented across the length and breadth of the country to respond to the challenge of youth unemployment.

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) was launched in 2020 to cultivate sustainable earning opportunities for young people from all walks of life. Just yesterday, the Presidency released a progress report on this initiative.

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.
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.

The Social Employment Fund supports Civil Society Organisations to create employment opportunities within local communities, focusing on initiatives that address social challenges like health, education, and food security. Since its inception in 2021, the Social Employment Fund has been able to create and retain 140 000 jobs across over 6 000 sites nationwide.

Since 2012, the Small Enterprise Finance Agency has offered development finance to youth-owned SMMEs and Cooperatives struggling to secure commercial credit through various youth-specific funding options, including the Youth Fund Challenge, loans, grants, credit guarantees, and business support services to aid young entrepreneurs in their endeavours.

Alongside these efforts, the National Youth Development Agency has dedicated substantial resources to promote a culture of entrepreneurship among young people from all backgrounds.

In line with our theme of skills for a changing world, let me turn to the catalytic projects we have developed for implementation over the next five years to future-proof our youth and their income-earning abilities.

In 2023, as our democratic dispensation turned 30, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities made a commitment to move beyond advocacy and begin to conceive nationwide transformative projects, with a particular focus on poor and marginalised communities.

To this end, the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities made a commitment to the President and Parliament to rally all of government and all of society, particularly industry associations, behind the conceptualisation and implementation of a South African National Service Institute (SANSI), which I had the honour of launching in May 2024 alongside several industry associations. 

Through SANSI, young people can look forward to a range of nationwide interventions and programmes with sustainable and clearly defined opportunities, in sectors such as; agriculture, artificial intelligence, coding and robotics, and Energy & Related Value Chains among many others. 

Programme Director,

I was pleased to hear that some young people here in Potchefstroom embarked on a cleaning campaign over the past few days and this morning, with the support of the municipality. This follows the launch of the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign on June 6th in Kliptown, Soweto in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association; Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; as well as Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment. I urge all young people to take the lead in building safe, clean and prosperous communities. 

Compatriots, 

As I conclude, I want to emphasise that the youth deserve nothing less than a future where their skills, creativity, and determination can flourish in a changing world.
We urge the private sector to create opportunities by investing, hiring, and supporting youth innovation.

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 government will continue leading from the front by creating a conducive environment for economic growth, education, safety, and opportunity. 

We must stand united in our commitment to creating a better tomorrow for the youth and generations to come. 

I Thank You.