Pretoria:The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) has recorded over 2.6 million temporary earning opportunities for young people since its inception in 2020, according to Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli.
According to South African Government News Agency, the PYEI aims to support young people in gaining economic participation, experience, and pathways to sustainable earnings. The initiative addresses South Africa's youth unemployment challenge by focusing on systems change, skills development, enterprise development, and connecting youth to opportunities through a national network.
In the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, the PYEI secured 139,693 earning opportunities for young people via the National Pathway Management Network. Out of these, 106,093 were through SA Youth, and 33,600 through ESSA. Notably, nearly 70% of these opportunities have been accessed by young women.
The Youth Employment Service (YES) facilitated workplace experience for 5,244 young individuals in the same quarter, highlighting the importance of practical experience alongside qualifications.
The Revitalised National Youth Service also made progress, with 2,866 young people recruited into Phase 5 of the program, the largest to date, aiming to recruit 100,000 young people across South Africa. Since its inception, it has provided 140,922 paid service opportunities, with women accounting for 68% of these.
Additionally, the National Youth Development Agency provided 5,214 enterprise support opportunities, adding to the cumulative 277,349 enterprise support opportunities since inception. During the quarter, R95 million was allocated to the fourth Call for Proposals, emphasizing economic linkages in rural areas, supporting youth with disabilities, and involving civil society.
As of June 30, 2026, the Innovation Fund portfolio facilitated over 32,000 earning opportunities, with more than 52,000 unemployed youths registered. The PYEI has exceeded its initial target by engaging more than 6 million young people in the National Pathway Management Network, surpassing the goal of 1.5 million temporary earning opportunities.
The government aims to engage 500,000 young people in sustainable earning opportunities through workforce development programs. The PYEI seeks to provide accessible and relevant pathways connected to real economic opportunities, requiring cooperation among government, business, civil society, and other partners to tackle youth unemployment effectively.
