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From the Desk of the President: 18 October 2021

  • Youth protest for jobs in South Africa.
  • Image Credits :
  • SABC-News Unemployed Reuters
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Government will introduce a Social Employment Fund as part of the second phase of its efforts to create job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of unemployed South Africans through the Presidential Employment Stimulus programme.

This has been announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly letter to the nation on Monday.  The fund is aimed at supporting work for the good of society led by community organisations in sectors such as urban agriculture, public art, informal settlement upgrading and community safety.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus was established last year to create as many job opportunities in the shortest time.

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa the Presidential Employment Stimulus package has benefitted more than half a million citizens in its first phase.
It has done this by using new and innovative ways of recruitment using technology and facilitating co-operation amongst the 11 national departments that have implemented the programme.
He says it has brought young people in the labour force in unprecedented numbers and this second phase which will provide almost 1 billion rands in funding young people recruited into a revitalised National Youth Service to receive training in digital skills and entrepreneurship.

Over 550 000 jobs created

Government says it has created more than 550 000 jobs through its Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme that was launched last year. Phase one of the project has an overall target of creating 694 000 job opportunities.

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says several programmes are still in the implementation phase and they expect the number of job opportunities to increase. He was updating the media about the progress of phase one and the launch of phase two.

“This represents more than half a million South Africans who have already benefited directly from the stimulus, either through employment or receiving a grant to sustain their own economic activity. The first phase of employment stimulus has provided valuable lessons on what we can achieve if we set out ambitions higher and if we work together across government.”

The Presidential Employment Stimulus was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October last year in response to the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on employment.

The stimulus has supported a portfolio of programs in public employment interventions, livelihood support to sustain self-employment and protecting existing jobs. 11 national departments were responsible for implementing programs in phase one.

The objective is to use public investment to create jobs and support incomes.

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