Robert HersovChairman, BitMach · Investor/entrepreneur

62% Youth Unemployment: Rob Hersov on Why SA's Future is at Risk

Name: 62% Youth Unemployment: Rob Hersov on Why SA's Future is at Risk
Uploaded: 2025-08-20T10:01:41+00:00
Duration: 2 min 15 s
Channel: Robert Hersov
Description: In this solo editorial for Truth Report, Rob Hersov warns that South Africa faces a national emergency driven by soaring unemployment, especially among…

20 Aug 2025 · 2 min

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2:15

In this solo editorial for Truth Report, Rob Hersov warns that South Africa faces a national emergency driven by soaring unemployment, especially among youth. He cites Q1 2025 official unemployment at 32.9% (up from 31.9%) and an expanded unemployment rate of 43.1% when including discouraged workers. Youth unemployment is highlighted as the most alarming metric: roughly 62% for ages 15‑24 and 46.1% for ages 15‑34, the highest levels since the pandemic. Hersov criticises the ANC for empty declarations and a lack of effective job‑creation policies, describing the situation as engineered by political negligence. He links the unemployment crisis to deeper social ills—rising poverty, crime, deteriorating mental health, and eroding social trust—framing it as a moral failure. The commentary concludes with a call for emergency‑level job creation, robust support for youth entrepreneurship, and targeted public investment, urging immediate collective action to safeguard South Africa’s future.

Chapters

Let's talk about South Africa's unemployment catastrophe. Let's talk about the real pandemic in South Africa: joblessness. While the ANC flaunts empty declarations, an entire generation is being left to rot. That's you. This isn't a Labour issue. It's a national emergency, engineered by political negligence. Let's look at some stats. South Africa's Q1 2025 numbers confirm 32.9% unemployment, up from 31.9%, an extra 300,000 people sidelined from the workforce. Any drop in discouraged workers? Nope. Even broader measures now reveal 43.1% is the expanded unemployment number, including those who've given up looking for work. But it gets worse. Youth unemployment is crashing. It's around 62% for people aged 15 to 24, the highest since 2022. If you look at ages between 15 and 34, it's at 46.1%, the worst since the pandemic pushed it over the edge. Just think about that. What it means? It means that nearly half of all young South Africans are out of work. Families are struggling. Their futures are dimming, and despite grand announcements, the ANC's job initiatives haven't reversed a single percentage point. Instead, what do we get? Political scapegoating and blame games, while youth dissent grows and protest numbers multiply. Unemployment isn't just a number; it's a time bomb. Poverty deepens, crime spikes, mental health deteriorates, and social trust erodes. The ANC's refusal to act is pushing us to a breaking point. And this unemployment crisis isn't just economic, it's moral. The ANC has failed all of us. We need emergency-level job creation, strong support for youth entrepreneurship, and targeted public investment today. I'm Rob Hersov, and at Truth Report, we call it straight. South Africa. Your future depends on all of us acting now.