NYDA Warns Youth Unemployment Has Become South Africa’s New Struggle

Drawing parallels between the anti-apartheid resistance of 1976 and present-day economic hardship, Myende said the country’s youth are now fighting for dignity, opportunity, and economic inclusion.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) has declared that South Africa's youth are facing a new form of struggle — one driven not by apartheid-era classroom oppression, but by soaring unemployment, poverty, inequality, and exclusion from economic participation.

Speaking at the media launch of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1976 Soweto Uprising in Soweto on Thursday, NYDA Chairperson Dr Sunshine Myende delivered a powerful call for urgent action to confront what she described as a growing national crisis affecting millions of young South Africans.

"For many of us as young people today, the struggle is against unemployment. The struggle today is against poverty. The struggle today is against inequality. The struggle today is against exclusion from economic participation," Myende said.

The event formed part of the national programme commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic 1976 youth uprising under the theme:

"The Year of Youth Power – The Future is in Our Hands"

Youth Unemployment Framed as Modern-Day Liberation Struggle

Drawing parallels between the anti-apartheid resistance of 1976 and present-day economic hardship, Myende said the country's youth are now fighting for dignity, opportunity, and economic inclusion.

She argued that while political freedom has been achieved, economic freedom remains inaccessible to many young people.

The NYDA Chairperson said today's youth face multiple interconnected challenges, including:

• Mass unemployment

• Poverty

• Economic exclusion

• Inequality

• Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)

She described GBVF as a major barrier to dignity and equality for young women in particular.

"We Are Tired of Speeches" — NYDA Demands Action

Myende used the platform to issue one of the strongest public criticisms yet of what many young South Africans see as insufficient progress in tackling youth unemployment.

"We are tired of speeches. We are tired of being called together. We now want action," she said.

The remarks reflected growing frustration among South African youth over limited employment opportunities despite repeated government promises and policy interventions.

South Africa continues to record one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, with millions of young people unable to access stable work or meaningful economic participation.

Call for Youth Unemployment to Be Declared a National Disaster

One of the most striking proposals from the NYDA Chairperson was a direct appeal to President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare youth unemployment a national disaster.

Myende argued that such a declaration could help trigger urgent, coordinated interventions across:

• Government departments

• State institutions

• Private sector organisations

• Skills development programmes

She stressed that unemployment statistics represent real human suffering and uncertainty for millions of young people.

"These are young people who wake up every day without knowing what they are going to eat or how they will find opportunities," she said.

Unemployed Graduates Described as "Ticking Time Bomb"

The NYDA Chairperson also expressed concern over the growing number of unemployed graduates across the country.

She revealed that the NYDA is working with the Department of Public Service and Administration to utilise a national database of unemployed graduates in an effort to improve employment interventions.

Myende warned that the growing pool of educated but unemployed youth represents a serious socio-economic risk.

"It is painful to see graduates celebrating today, while tomorrow they face uncertainty about their future," she said.

She described unemployed graduates as a "ticking time bomb" for the country if urgent solutions are not implemented.

Private Sector Urged to Increase Youth Inclusion

While calling on government to intensify interventions, Myende stressed that solving youth unemployment cannot be the responsibility of the state alone.

She urged the private sector to:

• Create more employment opportunities

• Expand youth recruitment

• Support entrepreneurship

• Integrate young people into the mainstream economy

"Young people must not be spectators in the economy, but active participants in shaping it," she said.

Her remarks align with growing national debates around:

• Inclusive growth

• Economic transformation

• Youth participation

• Skills-to-employment gaps

Warning Against Youth Exclusion from Decision-Making

Myende also warned against excluding young people from leadership and policy discussions affecting their future.

"If we are not given a seat at the table, we will disrupt the table and redefine it," she said.

The statement underscored increasing demands from youth organisations for greater representation in:

• Government structures

• Economic planning

• Corporate leadership

• Policy development

NYDA Promotes Entrepreneurship and Grant Programmes

Highlighting the agency's own interventions, Myende pointed to NYDA grant programmes and enterprise development initiatives aimed at supporting youth entrepreneurship.

According to her, the programmes are helping young South Africans:

• Start businesses

• Create jobs

• Build local enterprises

• Participate in economic activity

"These grants are an investment in inclusion, economic participation and social stability," she said.

Entrepreneurship has increasingly been promoted as a key strategy for addressing South Africa's employment crisis, particularly amid slow formal job creation.

Frustration Growing Over Short-Term Internships

The NYDA Chairperson also criticised the growing reliance on short-term internships that fail to lead to permanent employment.

"Young people are tired of 12 or 24-month internships with no future beyond that," she said.

The issue has become a major source of frustration among graduates and job seekers who often cycle through temporary placements without long-term career prospects.

Legacy of 1976 Linked to Economic Justice

The commemoration of the 1976 youth uprising served as a backdrop for broader reflection on South Africa's unfinished transformation agenda.

Quoting anti-apartheid leader Oliver Tambo, Myende reminded attendees that nations are often confronted with a choice "to submit or to fight."

She said the sacrifices of the youth of 1976 place a responsibility on current generations to continue fighting for justice, dignity, and opportunity.

"We gather not only to remember them, but to honour the unfinished responsibility they handed to us," she said.

"We Are the Current and Future Leaders"

Despite the challenges facing young people, Myende ended her address with a message of resilience and determination.

"We are not just future leaders, we are the current and future leaders of this country," she said.

She called on government, business, and society to make meaningful investments in youth development and empowerment.

"The future is not something that is waiting for us. It is already calling us. Our responsibility is to ensure we are equipped to answer that call."

Analysts say the speech reflects growing urgency around South Africa's youth unemployment crisis and increasing pressure on both government and the private sector to deliver tangible economic opportunities for the country's younger population.