.png)
100 signatures reached
To: President Cyril Ramaphosa, National Treasury, Minister of Finance, Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa, Chairs of Appropriations & Finance Committees, Minister of Employment and Labour, Members of Parliament
PEPs4Youth: Fund and Scale Youth Employment Programmes
Currently, millions of young South Africans are looking for work and the issue at hand is not a lack of willingness, but a lack of sustained investment in systems that create and expand pathways into employment.
Right now, South Africa continues to face widespread unmet social and economic needs. Schools require support, communities need care, and public infrastructure demands ongoing maintenance. This called for solutions that can address both unemployment and service delivery challenges simultaneously, Public Employment Programmes (PEPs) emerged as that solution.
Public Employment Programmes have proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms for bridging this gap, connecting young people to meaningful work while delivering tangible value to communities. However, their continuity and long-term sustainability are increasingly under threat, as funding becomes limited, inconsistent, and in some cases reduced. This not only constrains the programmes’ ability to operate at scale, but also leaves the future of young people on a thread, especially those seeking access to meaningful pathways into sustainable employment.
Public Employment Programmes have proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms for bridging this gap, connecting young people to meaningful work while delivering tangible value to communities. However, their continuity and long-term sustainability are increasingly under threat, as funding becomes limited, inconsistent, and in some cases reduced. This not only constrains the programmes’ ability to operate at scale, but also leaves the future of young people on a thread, especially those seeking access to meaningful pathways into sustainable employment.
We are calling on government, particularly National Treasury, Cabinet and Parliament to take immediate and practical steps to scale Public Employment Programmes by:
- Ring-fencing Public Employment Programmes budget, ensuring that funding is protected and cannot be reduced or reallocated.
- Designing a multi-year funding framework that provides stability and allows programmes to plan, expand, and deliver sustained impact.
- Committing to at least 1 million funded work opportunities annually for young people, aligned with the scale of demand.
- Having accountability measures, including publicly available targets, timelines, and progress reporting on youth employment outcomes.
These are not new or unrealistic demands, they are necessary steps to ensure that proven solutions are funded properly.
Why is this important?
This campaign matters because decisions are being made without accountability and that cannot continue. Public Employment Programmes are not charity, and they are not temporary relief.
They are a bridge into the economy, a source of dignity and income, a tool for delivering essential public, community services and a driver of local economic activity.
They are a bridge into the economy, a source of dignity and income, a tool for delivering essential public, community services and a driver of local economic activity.
Failure to fund and scale these programmes is not a neutral decision. It is a decision to limit access to opportunities for young people. It is also a decision that risks deepening inequality and entrenching long-term economic exclusion.
Add your voice and share this petition to help amplify the message, re squeeze(eng) In!
To learn more about the work Youth Capital is doing, subscribe to the mailer here: youthcapital.co.za/get-involved/
Add your voice and share this petition to help amplify the message, re squeeze(eng) In!
To learn more about the work Youth Capital is doing, subscribe to the mailer here: youthcapital.co.za/get-involved/