Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator has reached a significant milestone in its mission to address youth unemployment in South Africa. Through the SA Youth Platform, sayouth.mobi, Harambee has now supported over 4 million young people in accessing jobs, self-employment opportunities, skills development programmes, work seeker support, and other vital resources that aid their transition into the labour market. These efforts have helped young South Africans to generate almost R25 billion in income.
“Reaching over 4 million young South Africans has been impactful, but we must do more. Harambee remains committed to working with partners from the public, private and social sectors to unlock earning opportunities and dismantle the barriers that keep millions of youth unemployed,” says Kasthuri Soni, CEO of Harambee.
Launched in 2021 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, sayouth.mobi was designed to help young unemployed South Africans find work by connecting them through the online platform to private and public sector employers. To reduce costs, the sayouth.mobi platform is zero-rated, allowing young work seekers to access it without incurring data charges. Its geo-mapping feature addresses the transport cost barrier by matching young people to opportunities near where they live. The need to print or photocopy CVs and travel long distances to submit them has also been eliminated.
From an employer’s perspective, the SA Youth Partner Network gives them access to young talent across the country, matched to their specific opportunities.
The multi-channel SA Youth platform enables Harambee to keep young people productively engaged and support them with a range of services, including:
- Call Centre Assistance: Providing guidance and information through toll free inbound and outbound calls operated by young Guides.
- Digital Engagement: Offering support via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and email, including helping young people identify and avoid fraudulent job offers.
- sayouth.mobi Resources: Giving thousands of young people access to free online courses, CV templates, and assessments through the platform.
- SmartWorks Programme: Assisting young job seekers with professional attire for interviews or when starting their first jobs, helping them make a positive first impression.
- Mock Interviews & Job Readiness: Preparing youth for workforce transitions through interview preparation and practical training, both in person and via the call centre.
Many of these young South Africans are now earning their own money, participating in public employment programmes, or engaging with the formal economy in meaningful ways.
Young people like Luthabile Mbotshelwa, who shares, “I have walked great distances to go and apply for vacancies, to no avail. And in many instances, due to financial constraints, I wasn’t able to apply online. If you’re considering joining SA Youth, do it. I can guarantee you that if you are willing – SA Youth will propel you forward.”
As Harambee and its partners celebrate this milestone, the organisation is setting its sights on another ambitious goal: enabling one million more work opportunities across the economy by 2026, a target that took 12 years to reach previously.
“But we cannot do it alone,” says Soni. “We need the support of employers to recruit their entry- level talent through the SA Youth Partner Network at partners.sayouth.org.za. Together, we can drive the necessary changes to build a more inclusive economy and get South Africa’s youth working.”
