Employment and Labour Minister, Nomakhosazana Meth described young people as the cornerstone of future economic stability, and called for the creation of opportunities for them to thrive in the global economy.
Minister Meth said the Antalya Goal, which sought to reduce the share of young people at risk of being permanently left behind in the labour market by 15% by 2025, was set to expire. She said building on this, “we will introduce the Nelson Mandela Bay G20 Goal on Youth Employment. This new goal aims to reduce the number of youth Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) rates by 5% by 2030, focusing on digital literacy, skills development, and entrepreneurship”.
The Minister was delivering the keynote address today during the opening of the first Group of 20 (G20) technical meeting held at the Boardwalk Hotel, Casino & Convention Centre in Gqeberha. The first in a series of 2025 meetings will convene under the theme: “Living and Working in an Unequal World: Ensuring Decent Work and Decent Lives” . It will end on Friday.
“We will prioritise bridging the gap between education and employment, scaling up effective employment policies, and strengthening policy coordination to create inclusive and sustainable employment pathways for young people. One area we wish to explore is how the Nelson Mandela Bay G20 Goal on Youth Employment can strengthen the G20 Compact with Africa, which was initiated under the German G20 Presidency.
“The Compact promotes private investment in Africa by improving macroeconomic, business, and financing frameworks. The South African Presidency is committed to advancing this initiative to foster sustainable growth and employment across the continent.
Minister Meth told the meeting that there were growing inequalities in the global labour market and the broader socioeconomic inequalities that face the international community. She said hosting the G20 EWG underscores the growing recognition of Africa’s role in shaping the global economic and social agenda.
According to the Minister the world faces many overlapping challenges, including rising geopolitical tensions, economic inequality, climate change, and rapid technological disruptions. She said these challenges demand collective action, solidarity, and a renewed commitment to equality and sustainable development.
“Cooperation is the bedrock of human civilisation. Humanity has progressed through collaboration from the earliest forms of social organisation to the complex global systems we navigate today. Yet, in this era of unilateralism, protectionism, and nationalism, the spirit of cooperation is under threat. We are witnessing a decline in the sense of common purpose, even as the challenges we face grow more interconnected and complex,” she said.
South Africa’s 1 st G20 EWG meeting will focus on the theme of Inclusive Growth and Youth Employment and, Social Security and Digitalisation for an Inclusive Future of Work. The two themes on the radar this week are among four themes identified for 2025 EWG meetings.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said one of the most pressing challenges facing South Africa is youth unemployment. The Premier said a high number of youth not in employment, education or training is a crisis that demands bold and innovative action”.
“Our G20 Presidency requires of us to tackle this problem. We must do more to develop young people. We need to mobilise targeted investments in skills development especially in emerging sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and renewable energy,” he called for support to entrepreneurship and creation of an enabling environment.
He said the fight for gender equality and addressing unemployment remains unfinished.
Zingiswa Losi, Representative from Labour 20 (L20) calls for a new social contract – founded on the jobs, rights, wages and social protection, equality and inclusion is essential in addressing the issues the G20 Presidency seeks to address. She said every worker deserves the right to decent living. Need more decent jobs backed by investment.
Losi said there was a need to ensure the formalisation of over two billion informal jobs worldwide in order for us to bring stability and security to workers. Therefore, said Losi a just transition must be at the heart of climate action.
“Workers and their communities cannot be left behind, under unfair so-called climate solution”. Without fair solutions for workers we are risking eroding democracy itself. For labour rights and the future of work, we must indeed guarantee the fundamental for workers – including the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike,” she said.
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Ms. Thobeka Magcai, Ministry Spokesperson.
Email: Thobeka.Magcai@Labour.gov.za |
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Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
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