South Africa's worsening unemployment crisis is raising fresh concerns about whether the country's young people are adequately prepared for a labour market increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change.
Added to that women, whose unemployment figure continues to rise, are not only carrying families but are also being asked to prepare the next generation for a workplace that is changing before they have even entered it.
For Nelo P Spies, executive director of youth-employment organisation JA South Africa, that makes the question of work much bigger than whether South Africa can create more jobs.
“It is very depressing and heartbreaking to see that women are still carrying the brunt of unemployment, yet they are carrying families. They need to put food on the table for young people. They need to care for older people,” Spies said.
Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026 showed that the official unemployment rate increased to 33.6%, up from 32.7% in the first quarter.
The number of unemployed people rose by 345,000 to approximately 8.5 million, while employment declined by 16,000 to 16.7 million.
Particularly concerning is the continued rise in youth unemployment, which increased to 43.8% from 43.7% in the previous quarter. That is five million youth affected from ages 15 to 24.
Spies said the latest figures highlight the disproportionate impact unemployment continues to have on young people and women.
"We are creating a group of people that are going to be the adults of tomorrow who are without skills, who will not be able to pick up the baton when we retire."
The latest labour force data showed the labour force increased by 329,000 people during the quarter, while unemployment rose by 345,000.
Frank Blackmore, lead economist at KPMG South Africa, said the figures reflected ongoing weakness in the labour market.
"The labour force increased by a total of 329,000 people. This has built up into two numbers, the employment number which decreased by 16,000 while the unemployed increased by 345,000 persons," Blackmore said.
He attributed the deterioration largely to South Africa's prolonged period of weak economic growth.
"The reasons for the current numbers are obviously based on the long term impacts of low economic growth. We need to get higher economic growth to provide at least the necessary conditions for the economy to absorb those unemployed persons into the labour force," he said.
While economists continue to point to sluggish economic growth as the primary driver of unemployment, Spies argues that the challenge extends beyond simply creating more jobs.
"I believe tackling youth unemployment has to start much earlier than when a young person enters the job market," she said.
"And we have to go deeper than just creating more jobs. We are not preparing young people for the economy and workplace of today."
Spies said many of South Africa's education to employment systems were designed for a different era when career paths were more predictable and formal qualifications often guaranteed access to work.
"Today, that reality no longer exists," she said.
AI changing the skills required
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into workplaces around the world, concerns are growing about how technology could affect employment opportunities, particularly for younger workers entering the labour market.
Spies believes AI presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
"In our JA programmes this year a big focus for us is equipping youth with an understanding of AI and using AI to harness innovation, as that is the future," she said.
She warned that many entry level roles traditionally used as stepping stones into the workforce are becoming increasingly automated.
"Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the labour market worldwide. Entry level administrative, support and repetitive tasks, traditionally the gateway into employment for many young people, are increasingly being automated."
"A young person without digital skills today faces the same risk as someone without literacy skills a generation ago."
According to Spies, future employability will depend less on routine knowledge and more on creativity, adaptability, digital capability, collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking.
"I'm not saying every young person is going to be an entrepreneur but we need to help them develop skills and a mindset that they need for the future world of work," she said.
"We need to develop young people who will seize opportunities, create solutions from problems, and build something new."
STEM skills remain critical
A significant challenge remains the low uptake of science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects among young women, a trend that experts say could further widen future employment inequalities.
Spies said targeted interventions are needed to encourage more young women to pursue STEM related studies and careers.
"We have to intentionally focus on this area. We have to show young people that STEM is not a monster. It is something that young people can take on," she said.
The concern is particularly relevant as businesses increasingly seek workers with digital and technical skills to support innovation and technology adoption.
Economists have also cautioned that while AI may boost productivity over time, it is unlikely to provide a quick solution to South Africa's unemployment crisis.
Dr Lerato Ntuli, economist at Anchor Capital, recently noted that South Africa's unemployment challenge remains largely structural, driven by infrastructure constraints, weak investment and slow economic growth.
"AI is therefore unlikely to have a significant impact on reducing unemployment in the near term," Ntuli said.
However, she believes the technology could improve productivity and competitiveness over the longer term if accompanied by investment in electricity, digital infrastructure and skills development.
Entrepreneurship can help
JA South Africa operates entrepreneurship and financial literacy programmes in schools and communities across all nine provinces, aiming to expose young people to business skills and innovation from an early age.
Spies believes entrepreneurship education can play an important role in helping young people adapt to a changing economy.
Rather than focusing solely on job seeking, she argues that young people should also be encouraged to identify opportunities, solve problems and create value in their communities.
With youth unemployment remaining near 44% and economic growth expected to remain subdued, she said preparing young people for the future world of work has become increasingly urgent.
"The future belongs to young people who can adapt, innovate and create opportunities. We need to ensure they have the skills and confidence to do exactly that," Spies added.
ashley.lechman@nationalmg.co.za