Employers Warn - It’s Not About Unemployment, It’s Employability

Over 62% of young South Africans can’t find work, not due to lack of jobs but due to skills gaps created by a collapsing education system.

Cape Town, South Africa — 1 October 2025 — South Africa is not only facing high unemployment — it is grappling with an employability crisis, where young people are leaving school without the skills to qualify for jobs that already exist. Experts warn that unless the country addresses the decline in teaching capacity and education quality, employers will continue to face a skills gap while millions of young South Africans remain jobless.

Employability vs. Unemployment

Official statistics paint a bleak picture. Youth unemployment sits at 46.1% (Stats SA, Q1 2025), while among 15–24-year-olds it has soared to 62.4%. Nearly six in ten unemployed youth report having no previous work experience, locking them out of opportunities before they begin.

But business leaders stress that the crisis is not only about unemployment numbers. “We are seeing jobs go unfilled because candidates are underprepared — lacking literacy, numeracy, and basic workplace skills. This is not a lack of opportunities; it is a lack of employability,” says Neill Pleaner, Chairman of Ma Se Kind NPC.

The roots of the crisis lie in South Africa’s education system. More than 80% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning (PIRLS, 2023). Over 50% of public high schools no longer offer Pure Mathematics beyond Grade 10 (Umalusi, 2025), shutting learners out of science and technology pathways. As a result, many matriculants and graduates enter interviews without the skills that employers require.

Teacher Retrenchments and Shortages

Just as education outcomes are collapsing, the country is also shedding teachers.

• Up to 19,000 teaching posts in KwaZulu-Natal are reportedly at risk due to budget pressures (National Treasury briefing, 2025).
• In the Western Cape, 2,400 teaching contracts are expected to be cut or not renewed.
• Nationally, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) estimates that nearly half of all current teachers will retire by 2030.

“These figures point to a perfect storm,” says Pleaner. “At the very moment when we need more educators to lift learning outcomes, we are losing them to budget cuts and retirement. Every lost teacher means more overcrowded classrooms, fewer subject options, and learners further behind.”

Why Corporates Cannot Stay on the Sidelines

The education crisis is no longer just a social concern — it is a business risk.

• Companies already report difficulty recruiting skilled staff in ICT, finance, health, and renewable energy sectors.
• Weak schooling undermines South Africa’s ability to grow a sustainable workforce pipeline.
• Poor education reduces consumer spending power and entrenches poverty, limiting market growth.

“Corporates cannot afford to ignore education. Today’s learners are tomorrow’s workforce. If we do not act now, South Africa’s employability crisis will deepen, and businesses will be forced to import skills at great cost. We are seeing it in our BPO sector on a larger scale than ever before,” says Shahiem Erasmus, Director at Consumer Centric Solutions.

A Scalable Solution: Building Teachers

Addressing employability requires fixing the teaching pipeline. One initiative doing this is Ma Se Kind NPC, a South African non-profit company training the next generation of educators through a work-integrated bursary programme.

The model combines:

• Bursaries for young people from underserved communities.
• Accredited correspondence studies supported by mentorship.
• Assistant teacher placements in real classrooms from the start.
• Specialist training centres to build long-term capacity.

This ensures that graduates are not only qualified, but employable — with classroom experience and confidence from day one.

“One trained teacher can positively impact hundreds of learners every year, which impacts generations of families for the foreseeable future.” says Pleaner. “By investing in teachers, we are tackling youth unemployment and education quality simultaneously. This is the most direct route to closing South Africa’s employability gap.”

From Crisis to Opportunity

Experts argue that while the situation is urgent, it also offers a historic chance for transformation. By aligning corporate social investment with teacher development, companies can make a measurable difference in both education outcomes and workforce readiness.

“This is not just about charity,” adds Pleaner. “It’s about ensuring that South Africa has a future workforce that is literate, skilled, and employable. Corporates that invest in education are investing in their own long-term sustainability.”

About Ma Se Kind

Ma Se Kind is a South African non-profit company dedicated to transforming education by addressing the dual crisis of youth unemployment and teacher shortages. Its bursary programme equips young people from underserved communities to become qualified, employable educators through a combination of accredited studies, classroom placements, and specialist training. By building a pipeline of skilled teachers, Ma Se Kind uplifts communities, improves learner outcomes, and strengthens South Africa’s future.

Visit www.masekind.org.za for more information or partnership opportunities.