The crisis of unemployment in South Africa took centre stage during the Budget Vote 31 debate of the Department of Employment and Labour on Thursday afternoon.
Minister Nomakhosazana Meth acknowledged the scale of the unemployment crisis, stating that her department’s R3.8 billion budget for the 2025/26 financial year serves as a policy instrument for reform and an institutional roadmap. She said: “We are presenting an abridged version of the budget as a moral reckoning with a crisis of unemployment that continues to grip the country.”
The Minister described how the debate was unfolding against the backdrop of the daily struggles of millions of South Africans who wake up each day with hope, but without work. She drew particular attention to young people who, despite holding qualifications, still lack opportunities.
“As of the first quarter of 2025, the official unemployment rate stood at 32.9% with youth unemployment at an alarming 62.4%. These figures speak about the urgency of placing employment at the heart of national development,” she said.
The department has committed to creating 2 million job opportunities by 2030 through an integrated employment agenda. This initiative aims to shape the labour market through a combination of regulation, social protection, job placement and institutional development.
Mixed Views from Opposition Parties
Mr Thokozane Langa of the Inkatha Freedom Party acknowledged the department’s commitment to employment and labour regulation. He welcomed its strategic priorities, which include strengthening regulatory capacity, improving service delivery, and expanding employment interventions.
“We support these objectives in principle, but we are compelled to question the pace and efficacy of implementation,” he said.
Ms Désiréé van der Walt of the Democratic Alliance urged the entire government to focus more firmly on job creation and economic growth.
In contrast, Mr Carl Niehaus of the Economic Freedom Fighters criticised the department, stating it has “neither the capacity nor the tools to create jobs”. He added: “More than 12 million South Africans are excluded from the economy and the majority are young people, women and people living with disabilities who are systematically marginalised and left outside.”
Ms Ntombenhle Mbele of the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party echoed these sentiments, highlighting the human impact of the statistics. She said the unemployment numbers are not just data points but “mothers and fathers who wake up every morning to stand on the side of the road hoping someone will pick them up for a day’s work, only for them to return home empty-handed and humiliated.”
Legislative Tools for Labour Reform
Minister Meth concluded by stating that every line item in the budget reflects the strategic imperatives of the 7th administration under President Cyril Ramaphosa. She affirmed her department’s commitment to ensuring labour market interventions translate into real social and economic outcomes.
In a significant development, the Minister announced the Cabinet’s approval of the National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill, both of which are ready to be submitted to Parliament.
“These instruments will provide a legal framework to regulate the employment of foreign nationals and addresses misuses by labour brokers and the exploitation of undocumented workers,” she said.
Justice Molafo
4 July 2025
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