By Akani Nkuna
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) created 139,693 earning opportunities for young people through the National Pathway Management Network during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli told reporters on Wednesday that of these opportunities, 106,093 were secured through SA Youth, while a further 33,600 earning and learning opportunities were secured through Employment Services South Africa (ESSA).
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She was outlining the PYEI quarterly progress report covering the period between April to June 2026. The network is designed to link unemployed youth with training, support and earning opportunities.
Mhlauli said the SA Youth platform had enabled 2.6 million youth to access opportunities since its establishment in 2020. Close to 70% of the opportunities were accessed by young women.
Since the establishment of ESSA, close to 5.7 million young people have registered with the service and 386,733 of them have secured opportunities.
“At the same time, we recognise that temporary opportunities alone cannot resolve South Africa’s youth unemployment challenge. This is why the PYEI also focuses on systems change, demand-led skills development, enterprise development, sustainable earning pathways and connecting young people to opportunities through a national network,” Mhlauli said.
She said the Youth Employment Service placed 5,244 young people into workplace experience opportunities in the first quarter, adding that 233,393 workplace experience opportunities have been delivered since the establishment of PYEI.
A total of 2866 people were recruited during phase five of the revitalised National Youth Service programme.
“This is the largest phase of the revitalised National Youth Service to date and [it] is recruiting 100,000 young people across South Africa. Since inception, the National Youth Service has provided 140,922 paid service opportunities across its five phases, with young women accounting for 68% of these opportunities,” said Mhlauli.
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The PYEI also supports enterprise development and self-employment, providing alternatives for young people who struggle to find traditional employment. During the quarter, the National Youth Development Agency provided 5,214 enterprise support opportunities, including 4,795 non-financial and 419 financial opportunities.
A total of R95 million was committed to the fourth National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund to support innovative youth employment solutions – particularly in rural communities – for young people with disabilities and through civil society and youth-led organisations.
“The impact of the PYEI cannot be assessed only by the number of young people who access an opportunity. We must also understand what happens afterwards: whether young people move into further opportunities, secure sustainable income, progress into employment or enterprise, and whether the pathways we are creating are helping young people build livelihoods,” said Mhlauli.
Youth unemployment remains one of the country’s most pressing economic and social challenges.
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