The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) seeks to empower young people by advocating for their needs and creating opportunities for them. They encourage youth development across various sectors and offer programmes to support young South Africans which includes financial and business development initiatives specifically designed to help young entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses.
In a recent interview with Waseem Carrim, CEO of the NYDA, believes that a holistic approach to tackle youth unemployment is needed as the agency's resources are limited when comparing it to the scale of unemployment.
If we were to limit that conversation to just the NYDA we would not do the subject matter enough justice simply because the NYDA makes up about 1% of the government's annual expenditure
Carrim explained that the NYDA, comprising only 1% of the government's annual expenditure on developmental work, cannot address youth unemployment alone. Instead, he called for a broader conversation encompassing education, skills development, and private-sector involvement.
One of the key factors contributing to high youth unemployment, according to Carrim, is the lack of significant economic growth in South Africa. With over a decade of stagnant growth, the economy has struggled to create enough jobs to meet the needs of the growing youth population.
Why we have such high levels of unemployment in South Africa and that largely is because the South African economy has not grown at any meaningful rate
Carrim says challenges within the education system, including high dropout rates and limited entrepreneurship opportunities also continue to youth unemployed. They added the strain on public services due to resource constraints and also made it difficult to adequately support young people.
While addressing criticisms of the NYDA's effectiveness, Carrim acknowledged the need for a refreshed approach and the consolidation of youth programmes to avoid fragmentation. They emphasised the importance of longer-term employment programmes o provide meaningful support and transition opportunities for young people.
Carrim says they hope for a renewed vision for youth development under the incoming administration. They called for increased accountability and efficiency in the use of resources to better support young people in South Africa.
What I hope for is more accountability in the system because I think Young people deserve better 30 years after democracy landed in South Africa
