Young people make up half of South Africa’s working-age population. Yet 8 out of 10 have never had a job before. So, in 2023, when the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) advertised work opportunities for 245 000 young people across 23 000 schools, the response was overwhelming — 1.5 million people applied. The programme has the potential to reach young people at an unprecedented level, giving many of them their first work opportunity. And with the support of youth development advocates, implementation of the programme can get better with every new phase.
Despite the government’s own acknowledgment that the BEEI created meaningful work for young people while delivering public value, the programme did not go ahead as planned in 2024. If another cycle is skipped in 2025 young people and our economy will pay the price.
In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced deep cuts to various public employment programmes, but we were told the BEEI would not suffer. The plan at the time was to utilise reserve funds from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to keep the BEEI going. But the funds were not released, meaning the programme could not recruit or place tens of thousands of young people in schools. When Youth Capital asked the Acting Commissioner of the UIF for an explanation, the response was ambiguous.
Bringing the labour market closer to young people
Young people are struggling to find entry points into the world of work which has a worryingly low absorption rate. Public employment programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme and Community Work Programme have long been used to capacitate the state while creating short-term or part-time employment. While not perfect, these public investments have unlocked entry points into the labour market for young job seekers, particularly those who have little to no formal education, training, or work experience.
The BEEI is an evolution of these programmes which emerged from the Presidential Employment Stimulus to counteract the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns on people’s livelihoods. It’s the largest programme in the PES package, offering work experience where young people can develop the spectrum of soft skills that employers are looking for in new recruits.
When the BEEI was running, young people were paid stipends that they spent in their local economies, and they learnt how to add value to our schooling system and in the lives of children. For instance, teacher assistants with the right training can help learners improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
Young people’s connection to the world of work is not always linear, so the BEEI is designed to help them incrementally move forward. And the proof is in the impact like the experiences of previous BEEI participants: Velile Dyantyi worked as a general assistant in Botshabelo in the Free State, and grew a vegetable garden at a school during his placement; he now produces vegetables to sell to the community, and runs a youth club focused on sports and arts – he is hoping to open a 24-hour early childhood development centre to support nurses and police officers who work night shifts. Nontokozi Sibanyoni completed her education assistant contract, became an ambassador at a South African NGO and later — a media officer.
Despite the demonstrated potential of the BEEI, National Treasury is prioritising fiscal consolidation over stimulating job creation, leaving the programme without funding in the medium term. Young people and our economy are paying the price for this decision. More than 200 000 young people are losing out on critical work experience which is a barrier to finding long-term employment, and economic productivity suffers because fewer people are earning and spending.
National Treasury must prioritise public employment as a cornerstone of economic policy. Promises of jobs, without adequate funding, will simply undermine efforts to address youth unemployment.
