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Youth unemployment in South Africa is exceeding 40%
With youth unemployment in South Africa still exceeding 40%, much of the conversation remains focused on the scale of the crisis. Far less attention is given to the young entrepreneurs actively creating solutions on the ground. For Youth Month, Business Partners Limited is spotlighting three young South African entrepreneurs who are not only building sustainable businesses. They are also directly addressing unemployment in their communities by creating jobs, developing skills, and unlocking economic participation.
Youth unemployment in South Africa is exceeding 40%
This opinion piece unpacks how youth-led SMEs are playing a critical role in job creation, yet many remain underfunded and underreported. It explores the journey of a young female founder who turned personal loss into a business that empowers and trains women. Another business owner transformed a loss-making company into a profitable, job-creating enterprise. Lastly, an education entrepreneur is bridging the gap between qualifications and employment by developing practical skills.
As South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis persists, young entrepreneurs are stepping in to create the opportunities they can’t find, building businesses that not only sustain themselves but also generate jobs and skills within their communities. With more than four in 10 young South Africans currently unable to find work, the urgency to create new pathways into economic participation has never been greater. While the challenge is well known, less attention is often paid to the young entrepreneurs who are actively working to change this reality, and many of their businesses go unfunded.
These are the young entrepreneurs tackling South Africa’s employment crisis head-on
This is according to Gugu Mjadu, Executive General Manager of Marketing and Impact Investing at Business Partners Limited, who is shining a spotlight on three young entrepreneurs whose businesses not only sustain livelihoods but also drive meaningful change in their communities.
“Youth-led SMEs are playing a critical role in addressing unemployment by creating jobs, building skills and unlocking new opportunities within communities. By supporting young entrepreneurs, we are not only investing in individual businesses, but in the broader economic future of the country,” says Mjadu.
Turning purpose into empowerment
For Fefe Ntsoelengoe (32), founder of Glow Up Nails, entrepreneurship was born out of personal loss but has evolved into a business that empowers others.
“I come from a strong entrepreneurial background – my mother was a single parent who built a business after my father passed away,” she explains. “During lockdown, I started doing nails at home, practising on myself and my mom. We discussed starting a nail business on the side, and after losing her to Covid-19, I decided to carry that dream forward, creating something that wasn’t just about survival, but about purpose.”
Today, Fefe’s purpose is centred on long-term career development for women.
“I saw how many women in the beauty industry lacked stability, benefits, and long-term opportunities. So, Glow Up evolved into a space where we focus on empowering women, offering training, and building careers, so they’re not just surviving, but thriving.”
Creating jobs and financial independence
As a young woman stepping into an existing business, Lerato Gumede (29), owner of Impact Branding, a branding and promotional products company, initially faced scepticism from some clients. “I had to actively seek new opportunities, prove myself, and rebuild trust. Over time, through consistent delivery and hard work, I started winning referrals and growing the business organically.”
Since taking over, Gumede has transformed the business from consistently making losses to generating profit, while creating employment opportunities within her community. Gumede has also been enrolled on the Business Partners Limited supplier development programme. “My main goal was personal financial freedom, but today we are making an impact by creating employment,” she says. “Every job created contributes to someone’s livelihood, and I believe that matters.”
Expanding access to skills and opportunity
In the education space, Brian Poopedi (33), Founder of Revo Quest Institute, is working to bridge the gap between qualifications and employment by equipping individuals with practical, work-ready skills.
“Revo Quest Institute was built in response to the needs I identified in the training sector. It reflects my view of how effective training processes can support a company’s growth while creating meaningful impact in learners’ lives.”
Since launching, the business has grown rapidly – creating jobs and training hundreds of individuals. “Today, we employ 11 people and have trained more than 300 learners in our first three years of operation – an achievement I am incredibly proud of.”
A key focus of the business is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which helps individuals convert work experience into formal qualifications and unlock new opportunities.
“Our aim is to create a gateway for experienced people who have not realised their potential in the workplace to reach their goals,” Poopedi explains. “RPL represents hope for them.”
Enabling a generation of job creators
Mjadu notes that while access to funding, markets and mentorship remains a challenge for many young entrepreneurs, these three inspiring entrepreneurs are proof of the impact and potential of youth-led SMEs in South Africa.
“Young entrepreneurs are not waiting for opportunities; they are creating them. We have seen firsthand how, with the right support, these businesses have the potential to scale their impact, contributing meaningfully to job creation and economic inclusion,” she concludes.
THIS OPINION PIECE WAS COMPILED BY BUSINESS PARTNERS.
Letter from the President to Young People
A Letter from the President to Young People. “On the eve of Youth Day, we honour a generation of young South Africans who changed the course of our history. Fifty years ago, the youth of 1976 stood up against injustice and demanded the right to learn, to dream and to determine their own future. Their courage helped open the doors of freedom. The responsibility of our generation is to ensure that those doors lead to opportunity.
To the Young People of South Africa
The youth of South Africa rose up to reject an education system that sought to keep them in servitude and deny them the opportunity to realise their potential. Exactly 50 years later, as young South Africans, you face a different challenge: finding your place in an economy that has for too long kept its doors closed to you.
We know that for many young South Africans, the promise of democracy can feel distant when jobs are scarce, when opportunities seem out of reach and when qualifications do not always lead to employment. Many of you are working hard, applying for jobs, pursuing training and seeking opportunities, only to face disappointment. We hear these frustrations, and we understand that they are real.
Inclusive economic growth is essential if we are to tackle youth unemployment in a meaningful and lasting way. That is why we are investing in a massive infrastructure programme and undertaking far-reaching reforms to make our economy more competitive. We have embarked on a second ambitious investment drive, raising R890 billion in new investment pledges in the last year.
Young people opening the doors of learning, work and opportunity
However, these efforts will take time to translate into jobs. And even as the economy grows, young people may still find it difficult to participate in that growth. That is why we have been investing in programmes that give you access to learning and work opportunities, skills, experience and an income.
One of our most successful programmes has been the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which was launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, that stimulus has created in excess of 2.5 million work and livelihood opportunities. More than eight in ten of these opportunities have gone to young people, and two-thirds to women. It has enabled the most rapid expansion of public employment in our history.
One of our most successful programmes
While these numbers are impressive, what really makes this initiative stand out is the impact that it has on the prospects of those involved and the contribution it makes to the areas in which they work. Last year, through the Basic Education Employment Initiative, 200,000 unemployed young people provided valuable support to nearly 22,000 schools in remote villages, townships, dense inner cities, special needs classrooms and farm schools. The programme is giving young people their first foothold in the world of work while strengthening the foundations of learning in the schools that need it most.
The Social Employment Fund, another successful programme, offers part-time work for young people in social development programmes in areas like education, food and agriculture, health care, environmental improvement and safety. Because it is part-time, participants get regular and predictable income while spending the rest of their time looking for work, exploring business opportunities or improving their skills.
The Social Employment Fund
Alongside these public and social employment programmes, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention is steadily dismantling the barriers that keep young people locked out of the labour market. Through the SA Youth online platform, more than 5.7 million young people are now able to search for opportunities, overcoming some of the impediments that often hold them back, such as transport and data expenses. To date, the intervention has facilitated access to over 2.3 million earning opportunities.
The revitalised National Youth Service has placed more than 132,000 young people in paid service to their communities. These are young people learning the dignity of work while giving back to the society that raised them.
The Youth Employment Service
The Youth Employment Service, which is a business initiative, places young people in quality year-long work experience opportunities in companies across the country. We are also pioneering smarter ways of spending training funds. The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund pays for training for young people only when they are placed in a real, quality job. It is a model that demands results.
Behind every one of these numbers is a young person whose dignity has been restored, whose confidence has been renewed and whose horizon has broadened. Although these opportunities are mostly short-term, there are thousands of stories of young people who have used them as a stepping stone towards finding a permanent job, starting a small business or studying towards a new career.
Your country sees your potential
The value of these opportunities can be measured not merely by what young people earn while they’re in the programme, but by what they leave with: skills, experience, self-esteem and a sense of purpose.
Much work remains. The scale of the challenge demands that we sustain and deepen these efforts. Every company, every department, every organisation and every South African who is able to open a door for a young person must do so. Your country sees your potential and will work with you to ensure that you realise it. Let us together build a South Africa in which every young person finds their place in an inclusive economy and in a thriving society.”
With best regards,
Cyril Ramaphosa
THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA.
THE BEST ARTIST EVER TOURNAMENT STARTS NOW
For weeks, Cape Town debated, nominated and campaigned for the artists they believe deserve the title of Smile FM’s Best Artist Ever. From legendary bands and cultural icons to modern superstars, the field has been narrowed to sixteen of the greatest names in music history.
Every matchup is a heavyweight contest. Every vote matters. And with each round, we’ll move one step closer to crowning the greatest artist of all time.
ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES
MATCH DATES
Friday 19 June
(8) Whitney Houston vs (9) Adele
Vocal battle of the century.
Monday 22 June
(7) Rihanna vs (10) Prince
Pop dominance vs musical genius.
Tuesday 23 June
(4) Madonna vs (13) Ed Sheeran
Reinvention vs modern songwriting dominance.
Wednesday 24 June
(6) Taylor Swift vs (11) Celine Dion
Modern storytelling vs emotional power ballads.
Thursday 25 June
(5) Beyoncé vs (12) Bruno Mars
Performance royalty vs hit-machine energy.
Friday 26 June
(2) The Beatles vs (15) ABBA
Legacy vs gold.
Monday 29 June
(3) Queen vs (14) Bob Marley
Stadium anthems vs cultural soul legacy.
Tuesday 30 June
(1) Michael Jackson vs (16) Johnny Clegg
The King of Pop vs a hometown hero.
HOW TO VOTE
Voting opens on the day of each matchup.
Listen to Smile FM, follow our social media channels and cast your vote when voting goes live.
Cape Town, it’s time to decide.
Who is the Best Artist Ever?
All eyes on Sea Point ahead of March and March demonstration
Sea Point residents and businesses are bracing for a demonstration by activist group, March and March, on Youth Day.
This is as the organisation continues its campaign calling for action against undocumented foreign nationals in Cape Town and other parts of the country.
The group has staged several demonstrations across the city, including recent marches in Bellville and Cape Town’s CBD. Its latest action is set to take place in Sea Point on Tuesday, 16 June, between 09:00 and 15:00.
According to the Sea Point City Improvement District (CID), the march will begin near Fort Road before proceeding along Beach Road, St John’s Road and Main Road, eventually concluding at the Mandela Glasses on Glengariff Road.
In a notice issued to residents and businesses, Sea Point CID Chief Operations Officer Heather Tager confirmed that the CID would continue operations and deploy resources along the route for the event. Tager urged locals to prepare for possible disruptions.
“Residents, businesses, and visitors are advised to take note of the planned activity and anticipate possible traffic disruptions along the route during these times. Businesses are reminded that trading during this period remains at their own discretion, particularly restaurants and establishments operating with outdoor seating and tables on public pavements,” read Tager’s statement.
Meanwhile, ward councillor Nicola Jowell said she has noted concerns raised by residents.
At the same time, Jowell stressed that the right to protest is constitutionally protected and explained that gatherings, regardless of the cause, cannot be prohibited because a permit has not been obtained.
“The right to assemble, protest and express views peacefully is protected by the Constitution, and the law must be applied consistently to all gatherings, regardless of the cause or viewpoint being advanced. Equally, all participants are expected to conduct themselves peacefully and within the bounds of the law,” said Jowell.
Jowell noted that she has been in touch with the City’s Safety and Security Directorate regarding concerns over possible disruptions, adding that police and city officials are expected to maintain a visible presence throughout the demonstration.
ALSO READ: Over 40 000 illegal foreign nationals have been arrested since start of 2026 – Smile 90.4FM
