Fikile Mbalula
1Min
South Africa
Jan 8, 2026
As South Africa seeks to equip its youth with the necessary skills, ANC SG, Fikile Mbalula says opportunities must be created at a foundational level, adding that companies are thus challenged to rethink traditional hiring paradigms, to foster an inclusive economy that embraces the potential of young South Africans eager to make their mark.
With South Africa's youth unemployment said to be hovering near 40%, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has called on the private sector to do away with the insistence on work experience.
In a passionate appeal aimed at revitalising job prospects for young South Africans, Mbalula urged corporate South Africa to reevaluate the experience criteria that often serve as a barrier for the country's youth. On Wednesday, Mbalula addressed young people at the Peter Mokaba celebratory event in Turfloop.
He highlighted the pressing need to offer opportunities to young professionals, emphasising that the reliance on prior work experience is marginalising a generation eager to contribute to the economy.
"As the ANC, we say to the youth, all young people must go to school. When they finish school, we say that this thing they use to block young people under the guise of experience needed must come to an end," said Mbalula.
His comments resonate with sentiments expressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during a landmark address in January 2021, where he similarly critiqued the experience prerequisite for young job seekers.
Mbalula's call comes in the wake of alarming unemployment statistics and a smilar call by President Cyril Ramaphosa follwing last May's Stats SA report, which revealed that 46.1% of South Africans aged 15 to 34 were unemployed, up from 36.9% a decade earlier.
Despite these challenges, Mbalula expressed optimism about the country’s economic recovery under President Ramaphosa's leadership, asserting that the situation is set to improve for young job seekers. "The economy is doing well, comrades, and it is going to deliver jobs for our people," he stated confidently.
"Better things are happening in this country. We are on the right path under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa. We must work together to fight crime." This optimistic outlook, however, depends on the willingness of the corporate sector to adapt and evolve in its hiring practices.
