The National Youth Unemployment Movement (NYUM) called for immediate job creation in South Africa, urging government and businesses to act as the youth continue to struggle to find work in what they described as a “closed system”.
The call came after NYUM released a statement on Thursday, 16 April 2026, highlighting the daily struggles of unemployed youth and outlining demands for immediate intervention.
NYUM leader Mr Lindokuhle Yende said the organisation is pushing for urgent intervention from government and the private sector, including the creation of 500,000 employment opportunities within 90 days.
“We are demanding every company operating in South Africa to open its gates and hire entry-level workers from the community it profits from weekly and transparently,” he said. He also added that the movement wants the government to declare youth unemployment a national disaster and to audit SETAS to ensure they lead to real job opportunities.
The NYUM said it plans to use legal, parliamentary, and public channels to hold institutions accountable for the lack of employment opportunities. “We will take evidence to court, to parliament, and to the streets, lawfully without apology,” Mr Yende said.
The movement is encouraging youth to document their job-seeking experiences by recording any rejected applications, filming every closed gate, and identifying companies that allegedly refuse CVs while they continue to hire internally.
According to Mr Yende, the evidence will form the basis of legal challenges and public campaigns. NYUM argues that getting a job in South Africa is a hustle, especially for those without connections or any job experience.
“It is the data bundles spent on applications that vanish into portals. It is walking from industrial gate to industrial gate, hearing ‘we are not hiring’ while trucks move goods behind the fence,” Mr Yende said.
The unemployed youth voiced out their experiences.
Mr Thabiso Khumalo (25), a TUT graduate from Pretoria CBD, said he has been looking for work for more than a year.
“I have the qualification they ask us for, but when I apply, I am told I need experience. How can I get experience when they do not want to give me that experience?” he said.
Ms Kgothatso Kgomo, a 27-year-old UP graduate from Pretoria CBD, shared that applying for jobs is very costly and time-consuming.
“You put in so much effort going to these companies to submit your CV just to get no response or spend money on data applying online just to get rejected or even get ignored, but later you hear people saying they got hired through connections,” she said.
They both shared that unemployment has affected them financially and mentally in a very negative way, and it is making it hard for them to support themselves and their families.
NYUM said youth unemployment is not a result of the youth’s lack of effort, but a systemic issue requiring urgent intervention. For many young South Africans, the challenge remains constant, finding work in a system they say continues to shut them out.
