On Tuesday, 24 March 2026, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, in partnership with the Western Cape’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), hosted the SA Youth Employer Breakfast at Makers Landing in Cape Town, bringing together over 130 leaders, employers and policymakers from across sectors to connect and explore how they can access and harness youth talent more effectively, to drive economic inclusion at scale in the Western Cape.
According to the latest Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) Q4:2025, South Africa’s expanded youth unemployment rate now stands at 52.43%, with just around 8.8 million young people unemployed and classified as Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET). The Western Cape continues to have the lowest official unemployment rate in South Africa at 18.1%, and the lowest NEET rate at 33.3% (Q3, 2025). Despite this, the Western Cape, like the rest of South Africa, faces a range of deep, interconnected, socio-economic challenges, including youth unemployment, poverty and crime.
Against the backdrop of the province’s Growth for Jobs Strategy (G4J), employers, government partners, and ecosystem actors came together with a shared commitment: to unlock pathways for young people and build a more inclusive, future ready labour market.
Harambee’s CEO, Kasthuri Soni, implored leaders to recognise that purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive. Her challenge resonated strongly with employers who are already proving that inclusive hiring strengthens businesses, communities, and economies.
In his keynote address, Dr Rashid Toefy, Deputy Director General (DDG) at DEDAT, urged employers to “hire differently, collaborate with others, share learnings and measure your outcomes”. His provocation reinforced that youth employment is not a policy challenge alone, but one that requires bold leadership and coordinated action.
A panel discussion featuring David Green (Former CEO, V&A Waterfront), Christel Lategan (General Manager, Ucademy), Tracy van Aswegen (Development Facilitator, Ucademy), and Craig Nothnagel (Retail Manager, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway) reinforced the message that investing in youth is a strategic business decision, not charity.
With more than 500,000 young people in the Western Cape already registered on SA Youth, the opportunity and responsibility are clear. Employers have access to a wide pool of entry level talent that is ready to work, ready to grow, and ready to contribute.
Harambee extends its thanks to all partners, speakers, and employers who participated. Together, we are helping to build an inclusive labour market where young people can participate meaningfully in the economy.
Employers are encouraged to visit sayouth.co.za and start recruiting.
About Harambee
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a not-for-profit social enterprise that accelerates youth employment by partnering across sectors to unlock earning opportunities and break barriers that keep young people locked out of the economy. As an anchor partner in the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, Harambee operates SA Youth – South Africa’s largest online youth recruitment platform that connects youth to earning opportunities and gives employers access to young talent across the country. SA Youth supports a network of over 4.6 million young work-seekers and over 3,000 employer partners including government, the private sector and civil society.
