Limpopo youth urged to seize opportunities in farming

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha has addressed scores of young people during provincial Youth Day commemorations at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. Mathabatha has urged youth to seek opportunities in areas such as farming, as the debate around land continues.

He says the recent $10 billion investment in the Makhado-Musina Special Economic Zone will boost job creation.

This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa leads a drive to increase investment in South Africa. Young people have made their voice clear and are adding pressure on government, to speed up job creation initiatives.

Over 3.3 million young South Africans remain without jobs.

“I’m a graduate and I am volunteering now, I am not deployed, I studied a National Diploma in Policing.  There is nothing big happening so if they try to improve it by adding some activities that will reveal our talent as young people then it will be better. We want jobs, something that will keep us busy as you can see most of youth are being educated then after they have no work,” says one of the young people in the area.

Unemployment contracted from 27.6 % during the last quarter to 26.7%. This reduction has however not translated to the absorption of the youth into the mainstream economy.

Mathabatha says various projects are underway to transform the lives of many young people. The provincial government has pinned its hopes on the $10 billion investment, for its Makhado-Musina Special Economic Zone.

“We have recently secured a $10 billion as investment to our Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone that is being brought into the economy of Limpopo, new money into the economy of Limpopo.”

Mathabatha has urged young people in the province to seize any future opportunities in farming, as the debate around land continues. He says youth need to understand modern techniques used in agriculture.

“The conclusion of the current debate about the transformation of land ownership should find you well prepared to grab this opportunity, we want to see an avalanche of black youth farmers, and we are talking about black youth farmers who are scientifically equipped about modern farming techniques.”

The province plans to promote better access to services such as health care and free education for its youth. The war against drugs also featured in the premier’s address. He has urged the youth to carefully select their fields of study when furthering their studies, saying the economy now requires unique skills. Click below for more on Youth Day: