Ramaphosa’s call to business: ‘Invest in SA’s future and employ more youth’

CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa is appealing to businesses to employ more young people and to do away - where possible - with the requirement of prior work experience.
 
Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, the president once again lauded the matric class of 2023 for the 82.9% pass rate saying it’s a stellar achievement.
 
In South Africa’s 30th year of democracy, Ramaphosa said the pass rate of these matriculants demonstrated the progress made in not only making education more accessible but also more equal.

Ramaphosa noted that a new record had been set by the class of 2023 from a matric pass rate of 78% 10 years ago to 80% in 2022.

Since achieving the millennium development goal of universal primary education in 2010, Ramaphosa said steady progress had been made to improve secondary and post-school outcomes.

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Of the 110 top-performing learners in last year’s exam – 62 were social grant beneficiaries and more than 200, 000 qualified to enter university.
 
Ramaphosa is pleading for opportunities to be made available to those who have successfully passed secondary school.
 
He is encouraging companies to use the Employee Tax Incentive to hire more young job seekers and to make more training and mentorship opportunities available.

“As government we have made the call for businesses to invest in our nation's future by employing more young people and, where possible, to do away with the requirement of prior work experience," said the first citizen.
 
Ramaphosa is also asking businesses to sign up with the Youth Employment Service and other government partnerships.
 
He said offering young people from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to work or study further would eliminate poverty.

Ramaphosa said it’s up to society to give young people access to decent work to fulfill their true potential.