The youth has been urged by Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele to take advantage of the opportunities made available by the government to develop and launch their own business.
The government has made provisions through presidential youth employment intervention programs like the Youth Employment Stimulus and the Social Employment Fund to ensure that youth-owned businesses thrive.
In a statement, Gungubela said:
Since its launch in October 2020, the first two phases of the Presidential Employment Stimulus programme supported over 850 000 work opportunities, with 84% of the participants being young people.
It has been reported that 50 000 participants have been recruited in community safety, food and nutrition, digital inclusion, sports, arts, and recreation for a programme currently in the pipeline.
According to the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), this very same group of participants will also be recruited for the revitalised National Youth Service.
The youth have been encouraged to explore other opportunities that are available through the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the Community Works Programme, and the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator.
More than 1100 youth-owned businesses in the township and rural economies are estimated to have received grant support from the NYDA.
"The youth-owned enterprises, supported through the Youth Micro Enterprise Relief Fund and the NYDA Grant Funding programme, have collectively created and sustained 8 600 jobs in the economy,” the GCIS statement read.
More job opportunities for the unemployed will continue to be created through these programs.
