Over the past few weeks, you would have likely seen videos circulating online of job seekers queueing for hours, showing thousands of South Africans searching for a way make ends meet. These moments highlight the scale of youth unemployment, and the structural challenges within entering the labour market.
In one widely shared video from KwaZulu-Natal, unemployed teachers were seen camping outside the provincial Department of Education offices in Pietermaritzburg. They were demanding transparency in hiring processes and an end to temporary, low-paid contracts that continue to exclude qualified educators from permanent employment. In another clip from Tshwane Regional Mall, an estimated 5,000 job seekers queued for a vacancy that reportedly offered only 20 available positions. Meanwhile, about 55 kilometres away in Benoni, long lines of job seekers formed outside the My China Shop in Northmead for interviews.
On social media, users tagged @GwedeMantashe1 on X (formerly Twitter), challenging earlier comments suggesting unemployed people are “sunbathing” rather than actively seeking work. The images circulating online tell a different story one of persistence, urgency, and survival in an economy with limited opportunity.
The Underlying Issue in the South African Labour Market
These moments of desperation are not isolated incidents; they reflect the lived experiences of people doing everything possible to enter the South African labour market. The scenes in Pietermaritzburg are especially stark because they involve qualified teachers, trained professionals ready to deliver an essential public service, camping outside government offices in search of employment.
Despite persistent shortages in classrooms, thousands of teachers remain unemployed or stuck in short-term contracts. These are not surplus workers; they are nation-builders being shut out of the very systems they are meant to sustain, but this pattern extends far beyond education.
In 2024, the South African Police Service (SAPS) reported receiving more than one million applications for its 2025/2026 Basic Police Development Learning Programme. Gauteng recorded the highest number of applications (267,031), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (205,802). The scale of these numbers highlights the severity of youth unemployment and the pressure placed on public institutions to absorb an ever-growing labour force.
Policing, like teaching, is a cornerstone of the state and essential for safety, stability, and social cohesion. Seen together, these examples reveal a common crisis: even South Africa’s most critical public services are unable to absorb the workforce needed to sustain them.
What This Means for Youth Unemployment
Across these scenes, one reality stands out, the widening gap between available jobs and the number of people actively seeking work. Whether it is a teaching qualification earned over years or an entry-level retail job requiring minimal experience, too many people are competing for too few opportunities.
This imbalance is at the heart of South Africa’s youth unemployment problem. Without systemic reform, job creation, and fair hiring practices, young people will continue to grow in queues, remaining locked out of meaningful participation in the economy. This is why our pillars matter: advocacy, policy influence, and amplifying young voices is important. Join the conversation, subscribe to our mailer, and help shape a South African labour market that works for all.