The unemployment summit is over, but the reality of joblessness lingers

Whenever I host youth development workshops, I like to begin the sessions by calibrating the attendees with the right psyche coming into the session.

I ask what it is they are bringing into the session and what contribution they wish to make. Many times, this changes the dynamic and shifts sole responsibility from me, the session facilitator, and we get to share the why and how, making for a productive session shaped by the entire room, where participants are not passively receiving information but contributing to the core of the content.

In 2026, more than 40% of our young people are sitting at home in their graduation gowns because there are no jobs. We are having a lot of conversations about what is wrong, and what needs to be done to fix it; however, not many conversations are taking place to reflect on who has what to change the systemic challenges we face as a country because of youth unemployment, a burden felt by many South Africans who bare the symptoms of its supposed future, the youth.

To make a meaningful contribution to the state of productivity in our country, a social and economic audit is required about the value and resources our citizens across sectors have, and how we can coordinate them to create an economy where its youth can contribute and sustain itself.

Unemployment summit

Earlier this year I joined the On the record, News 24 unemployment summit with slight hesitation after receiving the programme of speakers. I reflected on the demographic in the room being largely corporate South Africa and our office bearers. There was not sufficient representation of young people in the lineup of speakers, and yet the NEET rate stands at 30%, so we left out the elephant in the room and filled the stage with those who manage the farm, to have a conversation on steps to take to resolve the crisis, said to be responsible for crime, amongst other social ills. In hindsight, it was a useful conversation to have to get a sense of the priorities and plans of the private sector, and the role government, civil society and the media must play to end unemployment. I would have loved to leave the room with a definitive commitment from the various sector speakers on what they will do to move us forward.

I want to argue that the conversation needs to move into action, firstly by being viewed through the right lens. My view is that the real challenge is not simply a lack of jobs. It is that the sectors meant to drive employment and productivity have been weakened by corruption and inconsistent policy, with too little accountability.

We have government officials who regularly appear in our news and commissions because of misuse of resources, but not enough of the story ends up before the court of law, where office bearers who took an oath to serve this country get to serve time for misusing our resources.

Additionally, there is no sufficient and sustainable legislative framework that guides the terms of operation for the private sector to operate in a manner that centres the sustainable participation of young people in their businesses, not for BEE or compliance or CSI, but with the sheer investment to build and profit off a people, with them. Perhaps one could argue that the private sector does not exist to solve social ills of a country, but good business should operate with that interest in mind, and we should have legislative frameworks that speak to this, and compliance should not be negotiable or bent to bribe and the profit of office bearers.

The role of Government and the Private Sector

Government and the private sector are not solely responsible for the provision of jobs for young people. I would add that we should not consider these sectors solely as being what the future should depend on to be productive and key role players. These are sectors meant to provide key systems and opportunities for young people to contribute, but we need young people to participate with the correct psyche. Not as recipients, not as victims needing saving, but as critical resources who have full competence and developing skills to shape tomorrow.

What young people bring to the table

In an age of AI and rapid technological change, leadership becomes more important and not less. The real opportunity is not just in new technology, but in developing a generation with a mindset, courage, and responsibility to create jobs rather than wait for them.

We need young people who have a vision and a sense of their value system, youth that asks, what are my talents, skills and capabilities, and how can I utilise these within the status quo to become productive and consequently have a job and provide others with them.

When the conversation is about individuals not being allowed to work, 'there are no jobs', one should ask, is this because there is nothing to be done? No solutions or systems to contribute to? Or have we relegated the shaping of our country to the efforts of a particular group? What is the danger of relying solely on the production and efforts of the government in times of coalition? What are the dangers of relying solely on the private sector, with the rise of global wars that affect markets and the priorities of companies?

The provision of jobs and employment needs to take place within a framework of creating systems for individuals who have a sense of their value added. It should not be seen as a favour government or the private sector does for a particular demographic, like the youth.

The role of the Media

The media has a critical and accessible function of shaping perceptions,; narratives and the bulk of knowledge ordinary civilians get to access outside of their free will agency to engage in academic writing or corporate reports and in-depth news.

I want to commend News 24 for providing the country with a platform to have that conversation, despite my disagreement with the representation of young people. It was necessary and insightful, and a refreshing role played by a media house to gather sectors that have both privilege and responsibility to shape the economy.

In the same breathe I wish to challenge mainstream media, which has the privilege and responsibility to set the national agenda, to become more intentional about sharing the truth about what young people are doing in this country and how they have made independent and significant strides to change the status quo, albeit not having the many resources and networks the managers of the 'farm' do.

There is a pool of young people who contribute to the township economy, who are farmers, who have started foundations and movements, who are building businesses that have reached some and need our support to reach more

In sharing the good news and the good stories, as media, we feed into public narratives about what is possible. We have skilled and educated young people who have both the will, competence and interest to contribute to the economy. Their desperation to be productive is seen and known, ask the management at the burger joint, RocoMamas, who in March 2026 had five waitress vacancies at their Mall of Africa store and received endless lines of applicants from youth who just wanted a job, or the hundreds of youth who in February 2026 joined the SANDF job queues in Limpopo and the many streets of South Africa that have seen at the traffic lights, youth with degrees asking for a job.

A systemic call on young people

My take is that we need more young people asking the right question, yes, the job will settle the immediate welfare needs for shelter, food and development at the individual, this is important, but will getting a job today end crime or the climate crisis? Will it result in accountable leaders across the sectors? I doubt it, and the burden should be shared across generations and sectors.

We must create jobs, but we must also make a concerted effort to build a layer of young people who are visionaries and proactive in their efforts to bring solutions to our country and imagine the world order differently than the dynamic of sinner and saviour. A system where good leadership is a part of the economic strategy and not seen as a soft skill.

Many of our challenges are systemic, but many of our solutions will come from building the right systems with the youth and not just for them.

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About the author

Zamayirha Peter is an advocacy communications specialist and founder of Ideas That Walk, a social enterprise focused on leadership development and the empowerment of marginalised communities through strategic communication interventions. She was recently shortlisted for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2026.

Contact her: www.zamayirhapeter.co.za