By Charmaine Ndlela
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli has called for stronger partnerships between government and the private sector to tackle youth unemployment, saying young people need more than qualifications to access meaningful economic opportunities.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of HONOR Technologies Africa’s learnership programme at the Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Mhlauli said collaboration was essential to connecting education and training with employment.
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The ceremony celebrated 30 learners who completed the 12-month programme, which provided practical workplace experience and skills to prepare them for the world of work.
Mhlauli congratulated the graduates and commended HONOR for investing in youth skills development, saying such initiatives demonstrated the value of partnerships in addressing unemployment.
“Programmes such as this demonstrate the importance of collaboration between government, the private sector and other stakeholders in addressing youth unemployment and expanding access to meaningful economic opportunities,” she said.
Mhlauli said skills development was essential to building an inclusive, productive and competitive economy, particularly as technological advances continued to reshape workplaces.
She said learnerships provided an important bridge between education and employment by allowing young people to apply their knowledge, understand workplace expectations and develop professional skills.
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She added that the value of a learnership extended beyond the certificate, encompassing practical experience, professional relationships and confidence.
Mhlauli urged graduates to continue learning and adapting as workplace demands evolved.
Youth unemployment remained one of South Africa’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges, affecting individuals, households, communities and the broader economy, she said.
While government had a responsibility to strengthen education and training, support employment initiatives and create an environment conducive to economic growth, Mhlauli said these efforts required private-sector support.
“The private sector has an equally important role to play by investing in young people, creating opportunities for workplace exposure, supporting skills development and opening pathways towards employment,” she said.
She called for partnerships that went beyond training to connect young people with actual economic opportunities.
“We must continue to build partnerships that move beyond training alone and seek to connect skills development with real economic opportunities,” she said.
Mhlauli said the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, established in 2020, was central to government’s efforts to expand opportunities for young people to earn an income.
She said qualifications alone were often insufficient to help young people enter the labour market, as they also needed access to information, professional networks, practical experience and opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
Mhlauli acknowledged that moving from training to employment was not always straightforward and cautioned that completing a learnership did not guarantee permanent employment.
She urged graduates to explore available employment and earning opportunities through platforms such as SAYouth.mobi and the Employment Services of South Africa.
“Your future will be shaped not only by the qualification you receive today but also by how you continue to develop your abilities and engage with the opportunities available to you,” she said.
Mhlauli said digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and adaptability were becoming increasingly important as technology transformed businesses, government services and workplaces.
She said the digital economy offered opportunities in information technology, digital marketing, communications, creative industries, business services and entrepreneurship.
However, she warned that meaningful participation required appropriate training, reliable information and opportunities to apply newly acquired skills.
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Mhlauli encouraged graduates to embrace technology as a tool for learning, innovation and problem-solving, adding that partnerships between government, educational institutions and businesses were essential to expanding access to digital skills.
She also urged young people to consider entrepreneurship alongside traditional employment, saying their creativity and understanding of community challenges could help them develop innovative solutions and sustainable businesses.
Entrepreneurship, however, required planning, resilience, financial awareness, market knowledge and a willingness to learn from experience, she said.
Mhlauli said aspiring entrepreneurs also needed access to information, mentorship, networks and support systems to turn their ideas into viable businesses.
With South Africa preparing for the local government elections on November 4, Mhlauli urged eligible young people to vote and participate in decisions affecting their communities.
She said municipalities played a direct role in residents’ daily lives through services such as water, sanitation, electricity, roads and waste management.
Mhlauli said young people should make informed choices, engage peacefully with those holding different views and remain active citizens beyond election day by attending community meetings, raising concerns and holding public representatives accountable.
HONOR South Africa chief executive Fred Zhou said the programme represented an investment in young South Africans and their potential to contribute to the workplace.
“At HONOR, we believe that technology is ultimately about people and about creating opportunities for people to build better futures. Our learnership programme is an investment in young South Africans and in the potential they bring to the workplace,” Zhou said.
He congratulated the graduates and said the skills, confidence and experience they had gained would help them pursue careers and further development.
Zhou described the graduation as the beginning of their journeys rather than the end.
HONOR funded the learners’ stipends throughout the 12-month programme. The company said it deliberately set the stipends at a level more commonly associated with corporate internships than standard learnerships, to help learners participate with greater financial stability and dignity.
The programme forms part of HONOR’s broader youth-focused initiatives in South Africa, including digital skills and community development projects. The company has also partnered with organisations working to expand access to technology and digital skills among young people in underserved communities.
