Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has secured commitments from business leaders to work alongside government in strengthening South Africa’s skills development system and improving pathways from education to employment.
The commitments were made during a high-level business breakfast hosted by Manamela ahead of the Higher Education and Training Budget Vote speech presented in Parliament.
The engagement brought together leaders from sectors including agriculture, mining, engineering, ICT and financial services, along with government representatives, skills development institutions, intermediaries and start-ups.
Focus On Tackling Youth Unemployment
Discussions centred on South Africa’s growing youth unemployment crisis and the urgent need to align education and training with labour market demands.
South Africa currently has more than three million young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), while many graduates remain unemployed despite businesses reporting ongoing skills shortages.
Manamela said the initiative aims to create practical collaboration between government and the private sector to ensure that training programmes meet the needs of the economy.
He added that the engagement would become a permanent partnership platform supported by regular discussions and implementation plans focused on accountability and measurable outcomes.
Key Priorities Discussed
The discussions focused on five major strategic areas aimed at improving South Africa’s post-school education and training system.
These included:
- Strengthening long-term public-private partnerships in the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector
- Bridging the gap between education and industry through curriculum alignment and workplace exposure
- Expanding apprenticeships, learnerships and work-integrated learning opportunities
- Improving policy certainty, funding access and accountability mechanisms
- Creating a shared accountability framework between government and business
Strong Support For TVET Colleges
One of the major outcomes of the engagement was strong backing for the revitalisation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
Business leaders highlighted the important role TVET colleges play in preparing young people for practical occupations that will remain relevant in a rapidly changing economy shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.
Participants also stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government departments and the private sector to ensure skills development programmes are more effective and responsive.
Entrepreneurship Also Highlighted
Entrepreneurship development formed an important part of the discussions, with business leaders emphasising the need to equip young people with the skills to create businesses and employment opportunities.
The engagement was co-hosted by Standard Bank and Primestars.
Head of Corporate Citizenship at Standard Bank, Dr Kirston Greenhop, highlighted the importance of vocational education and practical skills training in driving inclusive economic participation.
Primestars CEO, Nkosinathi Moshoana, emphasised the value of connecting education directly to employment opportunities through initiatives such as the organisation’s “learning to earning” campaign.
Government Calls For Action
Manamela said the discussions must now lead to practical implementation and measurable results.
“The report that emerges from this process must speak directly to how we action partnerships and collaboration in a meaningful and measurable way. There is already important work happening across sectors and institutions.
“Our responsibility now is to identify what is working, understand how to scale it, and take all of these commitments forward into concrete programmes that benefit young people and the economy,” the Minister said.
He also reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that South Africa’s post-school education and training system drives economic inclusion and opportunity.
“We cannot allow our education and training system to become a waiting room for unemployment for our youth. It must become a platform for empowerment, productivity, innovation and national development,” he said.
Additional Reporting by SANews.gov.za.
