From Dialogue to Action: Reflections from the Unemployment Summit
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, youth unemployment increased from 36,9% in the first quarter of 2015 to 46,1% by 2025. This sharp increase in the unemployment rate of South Africa’s youth raises alarms about the systemic challenges we are faced with as a country. Responding to this challenge, ACTIVATE! Change Drivers received a timely invitation to join this year’s On the Record Summit on Unemployment hosted by News 24. The summit brought together different voices, leaders and thinkers from across various sectors of society to discuss ways to address this crisis and provide 5 million jobs in the next 10 years.
In his welcome address, President Cyril Ramaphosa commended News24 for convening the summit in the spirit of the National Dialogue. As his point of departure, the president implored all to reflect deeply on how we got to where we are and understand the origins of our present. Whilst the president is correct in pointing to how our past continues to inform some of the most pressing systemic challenges we are facing today, ultimately, meaningful progress depends on moving beyond passive acknowledgement of problems toward collective agency, where citizens, institutions, and leaders actively participate in shaping a more equitable, just and prosperous future for all.
The president’s address was preceded by a keynote address by Dr Keyu Jin, author of “The China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism. Dr Jin’s address drew examples from the rise of China in global politics and highlighted the need to prioritise economic pragmatism over politics in advancing a pro-growth agenda towards addressing the challenges of poverty and unemployment. Dr Jin was one of several thinkers from various parts of the world who were invited to share perspectives and insights on how countries like China, India, Argentina and Ireland turned the corner on low economic growth and poverty. Among the key things highlighted by Dr Jin’s address is the important interplay between economics and politics. She described China’s success as “political centralisation combined with an extreme form of economic decentralisation,” where local governments play an important role in attracting private investment.
A Generation at the Helm: Why Youth Leadership Matters in Responding to Youth Unemployment
Ineffective leadership, political instability and ineffective service delivery often hamper economic growth and, by extension, prospects of meaningfully addressing the issue of unemployment. The City of Johannesburg, the country’s largest metropolitan economy, has had 10 mayors in 9 years, negatively affecting service delivery for its citizens for close to a decade. Among the most engaging panels at the summit was the panel entitled “How to Lead for Growth”, moderated by Adrian Basson. Interestingly, the panel included one of the youngest members of the cabinet in Zuko Godlimpi (34), former DA Youth Federal Leader Mbali Ntuli (37) and Geordin Hill-Lewis (39), who served as the youngest member of the 4th parliament, before becoming the mayor of the City of Cape Town in 2021.
This panel discussion underscored the importance of leadership in driving growth and to this end, Mbali Ntuli who leads the Ground Work Collective initiative posed a pivotal question on why civic education can move the needle on jobs, “How do we expect for people to be able to hold politicians to account when the average person doesn’t know what a mayor or a speaker does in a typical day?” Considering the importance of the interplay between politics and economics in driving growth, as articulated in Dr Jin’s presentation, we cannot as citizens simply be spectators and just complain about what is not working, but we must get involved in the affairs of our communities and municipalities and contribute towards finding lasting solutions to our problems. Investment in programmes such as the Groundwork Collective led by Mbali Ntuli and other such initiatives that seek to increase civic participation remains important in our effort to empower youth to contribute meaningfully to the public realm. As we reflect on how we should respond to the interminable challenges facing our communities, we must remain cognizant of the need to strengthen the capacity of young people to influence positive changes in society.
Dialogue and Reflections are not Enough to Turn the Needle
Conversation platforms such as the On the Record Summit, and the much-talked-about National Dialogue remain important tools in ensuring we have a broadened and deepened understanding of the challenges facing us and what is needed in responding to these. However, dialogue and reflections alone are insufficient in driving meaningful change. What is urgently needed is decisive and coordinated action across all sectors of society. Investing in youth-focused initiatives and platforms that strengthen young people’s capacity, expand their opportunities and amplify their voices is not optional but necessary. We must ensure that young people and communities in general are not passive recipients of policy decisions, but active agents in shaping a more inclusive, stable, and prosperous future.
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About the Author:
Rammolotsi Sothoane is Programmes Director at ACTIVATE! Change Drivers
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