McDonald’s South Africa, in partnership with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA), is taking another deliberate step to help young people move from learning into the world of work, announcing the recruitment of 2,370 young people into its next Hospitality Learnership Programme.
The announcement builds on more than 1,000 young people already trained through the programme and reflects a shared commitment to giving young people practical skills, workplace experience and meaningful pathways into employment.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey figures paint a stark picture. According to Statistics South Africa, the national unemployment rate increased to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026. However, for young people aged 15 to 24, that figure climbs to a staggering 60.9%.
Behind these numbers are young South Africans ready to contribute, earn an income, support their families and build independent lives, but who too often struggle to secure the workplace experience required to get their first job.
“We cannot look at the youth unemployment numbers and simply accept them as the reality of our country. Behind every statistic is a young person with a dream, a family, a talent and a future they are trying to build,” says Dr Mamello Masia, Chief People Officer at McDonald’s South Africa. “This programme is about creating a practical bridge between learning and the world of work, giving young people an opportunity to develop their skills, gain experience and take their first steps towards a career.”
The expanded partnership will provide 2,370 young people with a combination of classroom-based and on-the-job training. Learners will develop practical and transferable skills across areas including occupational health, safety and security, business communication, business finance and restaurant operations.
Training is supported by McDonald’s South Africa’s Hamburger University, the company’s dedicated training centre and a global centre of excellence for restaurant operations.
Learners will be exposed to the principles of quality, service, cleanliness and value, capabilities that are relevant across the broader hospitality sector.
The programme has already demonstrated the potential of learnerships to become a bridge to employment. Of the 1,400 learners in the first cohort of the 2024/2025 programme, 476 were permanently absorbed into McDonald’s South Africa. Among those who have moved on from the programme, more than 75% are now employed full-time in the industry, while a further 1.5% have started their own businesses.
These outcomes demonstrate the potential for learnerships to create pathways that extend beyond programme completion into permanent employment, broader industry opportunities and entrepreneurship.
“We believe a learnership should be more than a certificate at the end of a programme. It should be a stepping stone into a career,” says Masia. “Our ambition is to give these young people the skills, experience and exposure that can strengthen their employability and create pathways into full-time employment, whether that is with McDonald’s or elsewhere in the economy.”
The scale of the new intake also reflects the demand for opportunity among young South Africans. Previous recruitment efforts attracted thousands of applications, including from graduates, highlighting the persistent gap between education, workplace experience and employment.
For CATHSSETA, the partnership demonstrates the importance of bringing employers and skills-development institutions together to respond to labour-market realities.
“The scale of youth unemployment requires us to move beyond good intentions and into interventions that produce meaningful outcomes,” says Marks Thibela, CEO of CATHSSETA. “Young people need opportunities to acquire skills, gain workplace experience and demonstrate their potential. This partnership is an example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together around a shared responsibility for the future of South Africa’s youth.”
The initiative was designed with employment outcomes in mind, combining structured learning with workplace training in McDonald’s South Africa operations.
“For us, the measure of success is not simply how many young people complete a learnership, but what happens next. We want learners to leave with skills that are recognised by industry, workplace experience that strengthens their employability and a genuine pathway into employment,” Thibela said. “The commitment to absorb successful learners demonstrates what is possible when employers take an active role in shaping and creating opportunities within the skills development system.”
The partnership reinforces CATHSSETA’s commitment to ensuring that skills-development programmes respond to industry needs while creating meaningful opportunities for unemployed youth to enter and participate in the labour market.
Commenting at the ceremony, Buti Manamela, Minister of Higher Education and Training said: “This partnership between CATHSSETA and McDonald’s South Africa is reminiscent the skills revolution we are driving as government. We are investing in our TVET colleges, expanding learnerships, internships and work-integrated learning, but we cannot do this alone. The skills revolution requires a business to come on board as McDonald’s has as an employer opening their workplaces to young people so that they can gain the practical experience they need to enter the world of work. Our objective is clear: to ensure that the skills and qualifications young people receive translate into real opportunities and meaningful participation in the economy.”
South Africa has increasingly recognised that addressing youth unemployment requires coordinated action across government, business and civil society. With 2026 declared the Year of Putting Young South Africans to Work, national efforts are increasingly focused on creating pathways from learning to earning.
“Government cannot do this alone. Business cannot do it alone. And young people certainly should not have to carry the burden of unemployment alone,” says Masia. “The private sector has an important role to play in creating opportunities where young people can learn, grow, gain experience and prove themselves.”
The next 2,370 learners will join the growing number of young South Africans who have gained industry experience through the programme, Masia concluded.
