Johannesburg - Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, has reiterated the government’s commitment to helping the youth of South Africa deal with the socio-economic challenges they find themselves faced with.
He said: “The youth are the future of this country, and therefore, Government remains resolute in creating a favourable and supportive environment for youth to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders.”
In helping to draw more young people into the economy, the government has, under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, initiated various youth development and empowerment initiatives to support young people.
The Youth Employment stimulus ranges from formal education and training, learnerships, internships, and support for youth entrepreneurship.
Since its launch in October 2020, the first two phases of the Presidential Employment Stimulus programme have provided over 850 000 work opportunities, of which 84 percent of the participants were young people.
During his 2022 Budget vote speech, President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that over the next three years, R25 billion would be allocated to support black women, youth, and worker-owned companies. This forms part of the country’s drive to create a new generation of black industrialists, create jobs, and transform the economy.
The Expanded Public Works Programme, Community Works Programme, and the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator continue to create more job opportunities for the unemployed youth.
The Tshepo One Million Programme targets a million young people with skills training, job placement, and entrepreneurship development.
Young South African entrepreneurs eager to export their products to overseas markets are encouraged to take up the various avenues of business support made available to them by the government.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) continues its drive to support young people to access an incentive scheme, which aims to promote South African companies on the African continent and abroad. It also assists them in finding markets for South African goods and services through the departmental Export Promotion unit.
“The youth of 2022 is called upon to help us build a better tomorrow for everyone. Young people become agents of change, embrace the opportunities provided and rise to the challenge of leading South Africa’s post-Covid-19 recovery,” concluded Gungubele.
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