
Part of the Action | Ekasi Business Accelerator.
20 May 2022Local projects can provide young people actionable solutions they really need! Ekasi Business Accelerator is Part of the Action in making job-seeking affordable in Alex, Johannesburg.

Part of the Action: Mintor makes job-seeking affordable
13 May 2022Young people experience a significant roadblock when looking for a job: the financial cost of job-seeking. Heavy data costs and transport remain one of the largest expenses they have to face. Recently, the use of data-light platforms has emerged as a means of reducing job-seeking costs.

‘Beyond the cost’: questions from the launch.
5 May 2022Youth Capital launched ‘Beyond the Cost’, a research report on the cost job-seekers have to face. Read the questions from the launch, answered.

Five reasons why Mental Health Support matters.
13 Apr 2022Why do we need mental health support as young people? Palesaentle Ramonyalioa from the National Youth Resilience Inititative talks about mental health support for young people.

Igniting Entrepreneurship in TVET colleges.
5 Apr 2022Are you are a student currently registered at one of the 50 Technical and Vocation Education and Training Colleges? The National Entrepreneurship Inter-College Challenge is for you!

#Catch Us Up: Getting locked out of education shouldn’t be the end of the road.
4 Apr 2022Why is a catch-up strategy necessary to ensure that all young people who start their education can complete it? Read the post to find out.

Survey: The School Assistant Programme.
24 Mar 2022Did you take part in Phase Two of the School Assistant Programme under the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI)? Have your say by taking this survey.

Why helping young people catch up is a priority.
23 Mar 2022In this post, Siyavula’s Nosipho Sithole discusses why helping young people catch up should be on everyone’s priority list.

Youth Unemployment & Youth Activism.
7 Mar 2022 | 2 Comments on Youth Unemployment & Youth Activism.How can young people leverage their experiences and help solving the youth unemployment crisis? Zaki Mamdoo from the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation shares his views.

#CertifyUs: Why We Need Support to Complete our Qualifications.
7 Mar 2022What do we mean when we say that education and unemployment in South Africa are connected? Find out why an educational qualification matters.

PODCAST | debriefing on STATS SA quarter 3
9 Dec 2021Following Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Duma Gqubule and Studies In Poverty and Inequality Institute helped us understand the issue.

LIVE | Do job-seekers find value using online platforms?
19 Nov 2021Are digital platforms effective in making job-seeking affordable? In this Facebook Live with JobStarter, we put our experiences at the centre.

PART OF THE ACTION | YOUNG PEOPLE AS DRIVERS OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT.
10 Nov 2021We need a policy environment
in which young people are not
simply passengers, but drivers of
change in our own lives, writes Pearl Pillay.

Spotlight: Employment in South Africa’s Local Government Elections.
31 Oct 2021In this Opinion piece, Dr Shakira Choonara reflects on the importance of implementation over promises, and the role that young people’s vote plays.

YOUTH ACTIVISM: Youth & School Clubs.
2 Sep 2021Are youth & school clubs are effective channels for young people to advocate for change. We asked Engage South Africa & Kathrada Youth.

A Case for Entrepreneurship at our TVETs.
26 Aug 2021To celebrate TVET month, Allan Gray Makers reminds us why technical talent and entrepreneurial spirit are mutually inclusive.

SURVEY | How much does it cost to look for work?
25 Aug 2021How much does it cost to look for work for young job-seekers? Fill our survey to help Youth Capital advocate for youth-led solutions.

How to get started with digital activism.
13 Aug 2021Digital Activism offers young people an opportunity to use social media platforms to advocate for the change we want to see in our community.

Watch | COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine equity
5 Aug 2021We talk about vaccines and vaccine equity with Cheleka Mpande from Eh!woza, Heidi Giokos from eNCA and Aisha Abdool Karim from Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism

STUDY TIPS | How to get the grades you want in high school.
4 Aug 2021How can you study for tests so that the matric exam is a breeze in the park? Tao from Foondamate shares her top tips.

What can you do for #MandelaDay2021?
17 Jul 2021What can we do to make an impact this #MandelaDay2021? We have 5 activities for you.

Youth Voices | What Freedom Day means to us.
24 Jun 2021In honour of Freedom Day, Youth Capital Influencer Lebogang Ditsebe puts forward actionable ideas on how we can shake the status quo, in a South Africa that can work for young people.

Youth Voices | How young people can move Africa forward.
7 Jun 2021June 16th and the image etched in our minds and hearts of Hector Pieterson truly, never fades. There are the youth waves that make the headlines and then there are stories and struggles which are never really told. Every ounce of activism I believe begins to change the oppressive systems and structures which exist in […]

How to gain work experience with public opportunities.
19 May 2021Youth Capital’s Action Plan recognises that the government has existing programmes that can assist young people with gaining work experience. These programmes include the Expanded Public Works Programme and the Presidential Employment Stimulus Intervention. What is the Expanded Public Works Programme? The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has been established by the Government and it’s managed by […]

What marks do I need to pass matric?
17 May 2021What can you do once you finish matric? Understanding your results is the first step – check out our post for more.

Our Plan to Take Action.
6 May 2021If we are serious about tackling youth unemployment, we need a shared strategy. The Action Plan helps us with that.

Siyavula & Foonda Mate: free resources to prep for the matric re-write.
22 Apr 2021Matrics ‘on the fringe’ is Youth Capital’s research brief that reviewed the Second Chance Matric Programme. This is a programme by the Department of Basic Education that enables young people to re-write their matric exam or upgrade a subject. The brief takes into consideration the experiences of second-chancers, and quantifies that, at any given year, […]

Duzi-Umngeni Conservation Trust | How Public Works Impact Communities.
21 Apr 2021The Duzi-Umngeni Conversation Trust (DUCT) is an organisation in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu Natal. Its focus is to champion the environmental health of the uMngeni and uMsunduzi Rivers through its projects. Some of the projects are implemented as part of the Expanded Public Work Programme (EPWP), run by the Department of Public Works. The overall purpose of EPWP is […]

School Assistants, School Management and the Basic Education Employment Intervention.
31 Mar 2021Who are school assistants? Towards the end of 2020, the Department of Basic Education recruited over 300 000 Education Assistants and General Assistants for the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI). This initiative is part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Plan, designed to confront the economic impact of the pandemic by creating new opportunities for growth and […]

How do I apply for the NYDA board?
29 Mar 2021The National Youth Development Agency represents the interests of young South Africans – applications for its board are now open. If you’re thinking about applying, we tell you how in this post.

The NYDA Board We Want.
24 Mar 2021The National Youth Development Agency’s (NYDA) board is essential in ensuring that the organisation fulfils its mandate to serve young people in South Africa. We break down its role and why young people should stay engaged in the appointment process.

The Second Chance Matric Programme 2022: All you need to know about the matric re-write.
18 Mar 2021How can you register for the Second Chance Matric Programme or matric rewrite in 2022? Find out all the important information in this post

Research | Matrics ‘on the Fringe’: a Review of the Second Chance Programme.
10 Mar 2021Latest research by Youth Capital and Stellenbosch University’s Research on Social and Economic Policy (ReSEP) for the first time provides evidence that at any time, 250 000 young people are working towards a matric certificate outside of the full-time schooling system; but these young people are not reported by the Department of Basic Education.

Budget Speech 2021 Deconstructed.
3 Mar 2021Busi Sibeko, a Researcher and an Economist from the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and Kristal Duncan-William (Youth Capital Project Lead) had a discussion to deconstruct the South African National Budget Speech 2021 delivered on 24 February, so that young people could understand its impact.

Why the 2021 Budget Speech Matters to Us
24 Feb 2021Sandile Mlangeni is a young man from a township in Ekurhuleni (Gauteng). He is passionate about advocating for township economic development. He is also part of Youth Capital’s youth constituency as a Youth Capital Influencer. We asked him why young people should tune in for the upcoming 2021 Budget Speech.

An Open Letter | Dear Matric Class of 2021
22 Feb 2021In this open letter to the 2020 matric learners, author Matome Motloutsi inspires young people to show up, do the work and sometimes take the chance to try again. “Failures don’t define us, they simply refine us”. Best of luck!

Matric 2021 | How to cope with anxiety and how to rewrite.
19 Feb 2021Are you nervous about waiting for your matric results? We have some tips on how to cope with stress and making a plan to re-write.

6 ways we can contribute to our Democracy.
9 Feb 2021Policy Analyst Tessa Dooms chats to Youth Capital explored democracy to promote engagement besides voting.

The National Youth Development Agency Amendment Bill: proposed key amendments.
5 Feb 2021If you are wondering what does the National Youth Development Agency represent and why was it established, this post is for you? We also include the key proposed amendments from the Amendment Bill. You can give feedback until the 15 February 2021.

Media Statement: Our #ShiftTheDate petition and the search for clarity regarding matric 2020 re-write exams.
3 Feb 2021Youth Capital released a petition on Friday 29 January 2021 to call on the DBE to #ShiftTheDate for the 2020 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Matric candidates to register to re-write their final exams. We have now taken down the petition and have clarified the process of registration with an official at the Department of Basic Education. We sincerely apologise if our petition created any more confusion – our intention was to raise what we believed to be an urgent issue for young South Africans.

Why we’re asking to #ShiftTheDate of the matric rewrite registration.
30 Jan 2021This post was originally created to address the deadline to register for a National Senior Certificate matric re-write, which the Youth Capital team had understood to be on 28 February 2021. After calls and emails to the Department of Basic Education, we clarified that the cutoff date for the NSC is 12 March via manual registrations; the deadline for the Senior Certificate is 28 February for online registrations and 12 March for manual registrations at a distric office.

2020 Youth Capital Influencer Yearbook
4 Dec 2020The Youth Capital Influencer Programme is one of the ways that we are mobilising a youth-led network to shift gears on youth unemployment.

Unlocking youth power through mentoring | Sandrine and SAYes.
20 Aug 2020Sandrine shares her story on how SAYes mentors gave her the support and strength to navigate school and make decisions for her future career.

Word of Mouth | Assisting Female Entrepreneurs in the Informal Economy.
10 Aug 2020Before the Coronavirus lockdown, looking for a job was a difficult undertake for the average young South African. With high barriers into the formal economy, jobs in the informal could open up opportunities for young people. Word of Mouth is amplifying the power in the sector.

Bridge the Info Gap | Finding Your Calling on a Rocky Road
3 Aug 2020When leaving school Ferronique struggled to find a job. With the help of Umuzi. she found her calling to becoming a coder at BBD while on a rocky road.

Make Public Employment Work | Unlock the power of the social economy.
30 Jul 2020How the Community Works Programme provided Grachin with skills that helped her get a job in a school library, and work as a facilitator for a reading programme.

A Second Chance at the Matric Exam: Ukhanyo Foundation.
9 Jul 2020Philippi based Ukhanyo Foundation was started in January 2019 of its founder’s commitment to support young people to reach their dreams, starting with completing their matric exam through the Second Chance Programme.

Best Practices When Looking for a Job.
22 Jun 2020Do you struggle with making your work experience count when responding to job vacancies? How can you start growing your social network as a student?Job Advice SA founder Tim Barry and Career Coach Ennie Chipembere answer some of our questions on challenges we face when looking for a job.

How to set up a remote academic support group for high school students.
14 May 2020Only 37% of Grade 1 students complete Grade 12 in minimum time. What happens to the remaining 63%? Their challenges go unseen. This is why setting academic support groups can make a big difference in a student’s life. In this post, some Youth Capital Influencers will tell you what to consider when setting yours up.

WhatsApp Chat | The importance of a routine and setting boundaries during the pandemic.
8 May 2020In our latest Mental Health Webinar with Clinical Pshycologist and Mental Health Consultant Alexa Scher, we discussed the importance of setting a routine and managing healthy relationships during lockdown.

Repetition, Progression and the Need for a Catch-up Plan.
6 May 2020South Africa’s education policy has repetition constraints and progression criteria. Find out why having a catch-up strategy for progressed students is critical in supporting them for a successful education journey.

#TheNewNormal of lockdown in South Africa
24 Apr 2020In our latest WhatsApp Webinar on Public Health, Dr Kerrin Begg shines some light on the latest development of Level 4 of South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy. If you’re wondering about masks and the Coronavirus vaccine, this is for you!

#DataPrices: Understanding the Data Commission.
20 Apr 2020To understand the current conversation on data prices and the Competition Commission, Jan Vermeulen, Editor of MyBroadband, helps us understand South Africa’s situation on data prices set by different operators, zero-rating, and the proposed life-line bundles.

The National Youth Policy draft 2030 needs you(th) to be a success.
15 Apr 2020The National Youth Policy 2030 is open for comments. In this post we breakdown the components of the NYP2030 to make sure that we all understand its objective, key focus areas and time frame and the role we play as young people in giving direction and input on how to make the policy happen.

#ItsOkayNotToBeOkay: Understanding Mental Health during COVID-19.
9 Apr 2020The Pandemic and consequent lockdown has put a heavy spin on our lives and a burden on our mental health. Alexa Scher, a Clinical Psychologist, joined us for our weekly Public Health webinar to understand what mental health is and what we can do to support ourselves and the people we love through these difficult and uncertain times.

#21LockdownSA: Ask us!
27 Mar 2020Youth Capital’s Network Mobiliser Lethiwe Nkosi and Dr Hapiloe Maranyane hosted a WhatsApp Webinar with 250 young South Africans. During the webinar, Lethiwe explained the rules of the 21 days of Lockdown while Hapiloe Maranyane answered some questions about the medical aspects of the virus. If you’ve been wondering why the next 21 days are critical for our country, this post is for you!

How to Flatten the Curve: Q & A on the Corona Virus in South Africa
19 Mar 2020This post is based on a WhatsApp Webinar hosted by Youth Capital’s Project Lead and Public Health Researcher Kristal Duncan-Williams with 250 young South Africans. During the webinar, Kristal explained the facts about the virus, safety measures to adopt and busted the myths around that. If you’ve been wondering on whether ‘to mask or not to mask’, this post is for you!

Listen | How lower data prices could make job seeking affordable.
13 Mar 2020Youth Capital Project Lead Kristal Duncan-Williams chats to Ray White on the Azania Mosaka Show about what else is needed to ensure that lower data prices and zero-rated websites are effective in making job-seeking affordable.

Listen | How young people can shift gears on youth unemployment.
6 Mar 2020Youth Capital’s Project Lead Kristal Duncan-Williams engaged in a very interesting conversation with Songezo Macebe on The View Point, the evening show on SAFm.

FinSavvy Graduate Safety Net- An initiative to support young job seekers.
17 Feb 2020The cost of finding a job is cited as one of the challenges young people experience when trying to navigate their way out of being unemployed.

The Influencer Network Programme: Shifting Gears on Youth Unemployment.
23 Jan 2020Everybody agrees: youth unemployment rates in South Africa have stayed high for way too long. The issue is deeply rooted in the history and development of our country and we understand that it won’t be a quick one to solve.

Youth Voices: An Untold Story of Success.
13 Nov 2019When considering vocational trades in South Africa, there is a danger of a single story.

Young South Africans’ experience of the TVET system.
11 Oct 2019For one million young South Africans like Lotsolatile, vocational and skills training offers young South Africans an opportunity to upgrade skills and pursue new career pathways every year.

Transitions: The Long Hustle to a Job.
16 Sep 2019The transition between leaving school and finding a job, is often a longer and more difficult “in-between” period for many young South Africans than many of us realize.

Hustling Harder: Young Women Making it Work
28 Aug 2019With August being Women’s Month, it’s the perfect time to think about how we as a society can do more to support young women.

Immie stays in the game
6 Aug 2019It is difficult for young people across South Africa to find a job, especially when the youth unemployment rate has increased to 40%.

What do young people want in order to be empowered?
28 Jun 2019The appointment of young ministers into South Africa’s 6th democratic administration may be a sign that the government values the views of young people.