Pretoria: In a challenging economic environment, the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) is creating opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience while helping to preserve South Africa's rich cultural heritage for generations to come.
According to South African Government News Agency, the PESP is part of the broader Presidential Employment Stimulus, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2020 to help create and protect jobs and provide employment opportunities during a period of significant economic hardship. While the broader stimulus supports employment across a range of sectors, the PESP focuses specifically on South Africa's creative, cultural and heritage sectors. Through the programme, the National Heritage Council (NHC) of South Africa supports impactful, community-based heritage initiatives that create work opportunities, particularly for women, youth and persons with disabilities.
The NHC is a statutory body responsible for the preservation, protection and promotion of the country's heritage. Among the beneficiaries of an earlier PESP funding window was the Positive Change Youth Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to strengthen heritage knowledge among young people. Through its PESP-supported project, the organisation managed to create 68 work opportunities for local people in Mmakau, in North West, demonstrating how investment in heritage can also create pathways to employment and skills development for communities.
The NHC has been implementing the PESP since 2022, with four application windows having opened to date. Funding manager for the NHC, Bongiwe Magasela, said funding allocations have varied across the different cycles of the PESP. For example, PESP 3 received a R65 million allocation, while the PESP 4 received R55 million and PESP 5 received R25 million. While the council was not allocated funding for PESP 6 in the 2025/2026 financial year, it was allocated funding for PESP 7 in the 2026/2027 financial year. The application window under PESP 7 closed on 5 June 2026.
In addition to the R145 million already disbursed, the NHC, which is also an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, has been allocated R27 million for implementation of the PESP 7. 'This continued investment demonstrates government's recognition of the important role that heritage programmes play in creating jobs while preserving South Africa's heritage resources,' Magasela said.
In May 2026, the NHC announced the opening of applications for the 2026/2027 PESP 7, inviting heritage practitioners, community organisations, researchers, and institutions to submit projects that aim to promote and preserve South Africa's heritage while creating sustainable employment opportunities. Interest in the programme remains high and has been consistently strong across the various funding cycles. The NHC received 326 applications for PESP 3. Under the PESP 4 window, 438 applications were received, while 356 applications were received for PESP 5. Under PESP 7, a total of 637 applications were received.
Magasela's comments come as data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) revealed that the official unemployment rate rose from 32.7% in the first quarter to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, as shown in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released in August 2026. Raphepele told SAnews that the foundation, which received funding for its initiative to document the historical and cultural connections between the Batswana and Basotho communities, prepared a concept and detailed project proposal that outlined objectives, methodology, a PESP compliant employment plan and a line item budget.
Travel, project management and the production of a book were among the items covered by the funding the foundation received. This, to explore the longstanding relationship between the Batswana and Basotho communities, including shared oral traditions, leadership structures, clan systems, migration patterns, and customary practices. The funding allowed the foundation to document findings that highlighted in the deep historical connections between communities whose shared heritage is not always fully reflected in written records.
Magasela said the NHC has observed a growing interest among young people in heritage preservation and promotion. 'In fact, youth constitute one of the largest groups represented among applicants to the programme, demonstrating a strong commitment to preserving and promoting South Africa's heritage,' she said.
She added that the PESP has been a useful tool in carrying out the NHC's mandate. 'PESP has been a valuable tool in advancing the NHC's mandate while contributing to job creation within the heritage sector. Through the programme, the NHC has facilitated the creation of 11,231 employment opportunities across PESP 3, PESP 4 and PESP 5.
Raphepele said that while government has programmes and stimulus initiatives that help, more coordinated investment is needed. 'There is limited access to quality education and practical skills training, a gap between training and labour-market needs and a lack of affordable work opportunities in rural areas. The government has programmes and stimulus initiatives that help, but more coordinated investment is needed, especially in [the] TVET [Technical and Vocational Education and Training] space, entrepreneurship support, local economic development, and reliable pathways from training to real jobs,' he said.
Despite the increase in the unemployment rate, Raphepele has urged young people to be engaged in their communities by volunteering, seeking mentorships, and building practical skills. South Africa will head to the polls in the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.
