PYEI Drives Youth Employment with Over 1.67 Million Opportunities and R70 Million Disbursed
The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) continues to make significant progress in addressing youth unemployment in South Africa, with over 4.78 million young people now registered on the National Pathway Management Network and more than 1.67 million earning opportunities created to date.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on the fourth-quarter report for the 2024/2025 financial year, Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli highlighted the programme’s achievements between January and March 2025. These include the disbursement of over R70 million to 11 implementing partners — R30 million of which was released in the last quarter alone.
A major highlight of the report was the success of the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, an innovative pay-for-performance initiative incentivising quality, sustained job placements for youth. By the end of March, more than 5,400 young people had been enrolled, reaching 65% of the pilot programme’s target, with over 3,000 placed in what Mhlauli described as “quality jobs” — defined by income level, job duration, and growth potential.
“We are already seeing shifts in employer practices to better accommodate excluded young people,” Mhlauli noted, underscoring the programme’s broader impact on the labour market.
Launched in 2020 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the PYEI is the country’s most comprehensive effort to transition youth from learning to earning. It brings together government institutions, private sector partners, and civil society to accelerate job creation through four core pillars: the Pathway Management Network, demand-led training, the revitalised National Youth Service, and local economic stimulation through the Local Ecosystem Enablement Fund.
Mhlauli reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a demand-led, connected ecosystem that enables systemic change in youth employment. She encouraged young South Africans to visit the PYEI dashboard at www.stateofthenation.gov.za and register on the zero-rated platform SAYouth.mobi for access to job and empowerment opportunities.
“The success of this initiative lies in the continued collaboration between government, private sector, development partners, and the young people themselves,” she said.
SOURCE: South African Government News
