Tutor Doctor South Africa Calls for Urgent Action on NEET Crisis Among Young People

Youth Day is a moment to honour the courage of young people who helped shape South Africa’s history. But it is also a moment to ask what today’s learners need to grow into the leaders of tomorrow and shape South Africa’s future.

Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” For Tutor Doctor South Africa, that message remains urgent in a country where too many young people are still at risk of being left behind.

According to Stats SA, millions of young people are currently classified as NEET, meaning they are not in employment, education and training. In the first quarter of 2026, this included 3.9 million young people aged 15 to 24. Among the broader 15 to 34 age group, more than four in ten were also not working, studying or receiving training.

These numbers highlight a critical challenge: how to keep young South Africans engaged in learning, connected to opportunities and supported before they become disconnected from the systems meant to help them.

“Youth Day reminds us that young people do not succeed in isolation,” says Clive Robinson, MD of Tutor Doctor South Africa. “To raise tomorrow’s leaders, we need to build a stronger village around today’s learners. That village is made up of families, schools, tutors, NGOs, businesses and communities, all working together to provide the consistent, long-term support young people need to succeed.”

This is where partnerships between the private sector and NGOs can create meaningful and sustained change. Organisations such as Tomorrow Trust have shown the power of walking alongside learners over the long term, supporting children across the full education journey from Grade R through to graduation.

For 20 years, Tomorrow Trust has worked to close the opportunity gap through a holistic model that combines academic support, psychosocial care, career guidance and digital skills with education, empowerment and hope. Its work is rooted in the belief that every child deserves access to the support, guidance, and opportunities needed to learn, grow, and thrive.

That same principle underpins Tutor Doctor’s one-to-one academic coaching model. Education is not only about lessons, marks or exam results. It is about helping learners understand how they learn, where they need support, and how to build the independence and confidence that will serve them far beyond the classroom.

“At Tutor Doctor, we see every day how personalised academic coaching can help learners move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling capable,” says Robinson. “When a learner starts to believe, ‘I can do this,’ it changes more than their academic performance. It changes how they participate, how they persevere and how they begin to imagine their own future.”

Youth Day should be a call for businesses to support tangible educational impact, not just symbolic gestures. This means investing in tutoring, partnering with credible NGOs, supporting learner development and digital access, and helping build stronger pathways from school to further education and the world of work.

“The phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ is familiar, but in South Africa it carries real responsibility,” adds Robinson. “We must show up earlier, stay involved longer, and ensure young people are not left to navigate their education journey alone.”

Because when the right village stands behind a learner, they are better equipped to succeed today and lead South Africa tomorrow.