{"id":27339,"date":"2025-09-05T10:26:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T08:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=27339"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:54:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:54:22","slug":"pretoria-youth-march-unemployment-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/pretoria-youth-march-unemployment-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Pretoria Youth March Demands Urgent Job Creation Amid South Africa\u2019s Rising Youth Unemployment Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#pretoria-youth-march-to-combat-unemployment\" data-level=\"2\">Pretoria Youth March To Combat Unemployment<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#growing-youth-unemployment-crisis\" data-level=\"2\">Growing Youth Unemployment Crisis<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-pretoria-march\" data-level=\"2\">The Pretoria March<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#objectives-of-the-march\" data-level=\"2\">Objectives of the March<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#support-from-local-organisations\" data-level=\"2\">Support from Local Organisations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#challenges-behind-the-unemployment-crisis\" data-level=\"2\">Challenges Behind the Unemployment Crisis<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-role-of-government-and-private-sector\" data-level=\"2\">The Role of Government and Private Sector<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-support-the-cause\" data-level=\"2\">How to Support the Cause<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#shaping-south-africas-future\" data-level=\"2\">Shaping South Africa\u2019s Future<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#looking-ahead\" data-level=\"2\">Marching for A Difference<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pretoria-youth-march-to-combat-unemployment\">Pretoria Youth March To Combat Unemployment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unemployment remains one of South Africa\u2019s toughest challenges, especially for young people. On 4 September 2025, youth in Rosslyn, Pretoria, took to the streets in a powerful march demanding urgent action against soaring joblessness. This article details the recent youth march, its context, demands, and the larger unemployment crisis facing South Africa\u2019s young population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rosslyn  earlier Today&#8230;.  Youth Protested Rosslyn companies over jobs. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uUiM6Nqhup\">pic.twitter.com\/uUiM6Nqhup<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Carol B. \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6 (@CarolBoitumelo1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarolBoitumelo1\/status\/1963640866796409200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CarolBoitumelo1\/status\/1963640866796409200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">X\/Twitter<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1955411808\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"growing-youth-unemployment-crisis\">Growing Youth Unemployment Crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Youth unemployment in South Africa is alarmingly high. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statssa.gov.za\/?p=18398\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Statistics South Africa<\/a>, the unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 34 stood at <strong>46.1%<\/strong> in the first quarter of 2025. This rate is even higher, <strong>62.4%<\/strong> for youth aged 15 to 24, equating to over 4.9 million young people out of work nationally. Many youths face barriers such as lack of experience, and limited job opportunities amid a sluggish economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"524\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058278.png\" alt=\"Gauteng News Image\" class=\"wp-image-27371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058278.png 768w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058278-300x205.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058278-220x150.png 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statssa.gov.za\/?p=18398\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Statistics South Africa<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-pretoria-march\">The Pretoria March<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In response to this urgent crisis, hundreds of young people in Pretoria organised a march to highlight the desperate need for employment. Carrying CVs and messages, they marched through the city centre, engaging with local businesses and factories to demand tangible hiring initiatives to reduce youth unemployment in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dozens of unemployed young people are taking to the streets of Rosslyn, Pretoria, marching from company to company to demand job opportunities as frustration over rising unemployment grows. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/48g96V9auc\">pic.twitter.com\/48g96V9auc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MDNnewss\/status\/1963570366095249505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MDNnewss\/status\/1963570366095249505\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">X\/Twitter<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2073264251\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"objectives-of-the-march\">Objectives of the March<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The march aims to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Demand immediate job opportunities for unemployed youth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Foster collaboration between government, private sector and civil society for sustainable employment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote youth empowerment through skills training and learnership programmes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Raise public awareness about youth economic challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This movement reflects the frustrations of many young South Africans who feel excluded from economic progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"support-from-local-organisations\">Support from Local Organisations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Civic groups like Soil of Africa support the march, leading the campaign <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/rekord\/news-headlines\/2025\/07\/28\/march-leads-to-jobs-for-unemployed-youth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sizosebenza Ngenkani<\/a><\/em> (\u201cWe are going to be employed and given opportunities\u201d). They negotiate with factories in Pretoria\u2019s industrial areas, especially in Mamelodi and Nellmapius, to secure local youth employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The campaign has already helped dozens of young people secure factory jobs in the Waltloo area, with an emphasis on those from disadvantaged communities. Plans are underway to engage more companies and extend job creation efforts across Pretoria and Gauteng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Rea Aga community marches in Rosslyn calling for prioritisation of locals for job vacancies\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OPa5e64NMxc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/OPa5e64NMxc?si=-aSZqFv4ow5M8dCn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2559767939\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"challenges-behind-the-unemployment-crisis\">Challenges Behind the Unemployment Crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Structural challenges fueled by youth joblessness:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unemployment traps many in poverty cycles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Economic growth remains sluggish, limiting new job openings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gender disparities persist, with young women facing higher barriers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"524\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058173.png\" alt=\"Gauteng News Image\" class=\"wp-image-27367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058173.png 768w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058173-300x205.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gauteng-image-1757058173-220x150.png 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statssa.gov.za\/?p=18398\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Statistics South Africa<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-role-of-government-and-private-sector\">The Role of Government and Private Sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To combat youth unemployment, coordinated efforts are vital:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Government policies linking education, skills development, and job creation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Private sector expansion of internships, apprenticeships and entry-level roles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encouragement for youth entrepreneurship and innovation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tackling corruption and inequalities for fairer opportunities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Government initiatives to reindustrialise the economy, stimulating economic growth and creating sustainable jobs through targeted industrial policies and Special Economic Zones such as the Tshwane Automotive SEZ. These efforts focus on attracting investment, modernising manufacturing, and promoting green technologies to ensure long-term employment opportunities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1256712551\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-support-the-cause\">How to Support the Cause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals and communities can support youth employment by backing organisations championing education reform, advocating equitable economic policies, and participating in local initiatives demanding change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"shaping-south-africas-future\">Shaping South Africa\u2019s Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa\u2019s future depends on empowering its young people. The Pretoria youth march shows a generation speaking out for fair employment opportunities. Sustainable, collective solutions are crucial to reversing the youth unemployment crisis and building a more prosperous nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The retrenchments have sparked union criticism and industry concern.<\/em> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/ford-south-africa-retrenches-numsa-union-backlash\/\">Ford South Africa Retrenches 474 Workers Amid Backlash from NUMSA Union<\/a><\/strong>. <em>Learn what this means for workers, the auto sector, and South Africa\u2019s economy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2818703014\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"looking-ahead\">Marching for A Difference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pretoria youth march spotlights the urgent crisis facing South Africa\u2019s young population, with youth unemployment rates soaring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecofinagency.com\/news\/1505-46818-south-africa-s-youth-unemployment-hits-62-4-in-q12025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">above 60%<\/a> for those aged 15 to 24. This movement is a powerful call for <a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/capeargus\/opinion\/2025-07-01-youth-month-2025-why-jobless-marches-signal-a-crisis-for-south-africas-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">immediate job creation<\/a>, stronger partnerships, and long-term strategies to break the cycle of joblessness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overcoming structural barriers, from skills gaps to economic inequalities, requires concerted efforts from government, business, and communities alike. The determination of Pretoria\u2019s youth sends a clear message: sustainable solutions are essential to empower young people and secure South Africa\u2019s economic future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pretoria youth march is both a call for urgent action and a symbol of youth determination. Momentum is building for collaborative strategies that move beyond temporary fixes towards inclusive economic integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Youth demand jobs - Update for march in Rosslyn\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wSpqrUgtwx4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wSpqrUgtwx4?si=pim39ptXjz5sOHP0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore how Pretoria\u2019s youth are fighting soaring unemployment through marches and grassroots campaigns. Learn about their demands, challenges, and early successes in securing jobs in South Africa&#8217;s tough economic climate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":27352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Explore how Pretoria\u2019s youth are fighting soaring unemployment through marches and grassroots campaigns. Learn about their demands, challenges, and early successes in securing jobs in South Africa's tough economic climate.","footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[1427,116,9837,3255,1016,939,4052],"class_list":{"0":"post-27339","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-job-creation","9":"tag-pretoria","10":"tag-protest","11":"tag-unemployment-crisis","12":"tag-youth-empowerment","13":"tag-youth-unemployment","14":"tag-youth-unemployment-crisis"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27339"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27390,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27339\/revisions\/27390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}