Show unemployed young people how to access mental health support.

For two years, I have been unemployed. Like thousands of other young South Africans, I spent countless hours searching for work, rewriting my CV, applying for opportunities, and hoping that the next application would change everything. Most applications were met with silence or rejection. As the months passed, I realised unemployment doesn't only affect your finances. It changes how you see yourself. You begin questioning your worth. You wonder why everyone else seems to be moving forward while your life feels like it is standing still. Eventually, I needed help. I called the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), and through its helpline I was referred to a Job Seekers' Support Group. That phone call changed everything. Twice a week, I met online with other unemployed South Africans who understood exactly what I was going through. We shared job opportunities, improved one another's CVs, learnt about changes in the labour market, celebrated interviews, and encouraged one another through rejection. Most importantly, we reminded each other that unemployment is not a personal failure. It is not your identity. It is a chapter in your life, not the person you are. Without SADAG, I would never have found that support.

My experience is deeply personal, but it is not unique. Across South Africa, millions of young people are facing the same uncertainty. Statistics South Africa reports that unemployment stands at 60.9% among young people aged 15–24 and 40.6% among those aged 25–34 [1]. At the same time, the World Health Organisation reports that South Africa has the fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa [2]. While unemployment is not the only cause of poor mental health or suicide, experts increasingly recognise that repeated rejection, financial pressure, and uncertainty can have a serious impact on a person's mental wellbeing. Roshni Parbhoo-Seetha, Education Project Manager at SADAG, says many unemployed young people describe feeling "hopeless, overwhelmed and stuck," while registered counsellor Vanishaa Gordhan Narotam explains that many begin to internalise the belief that they are "not good enough" or are "failing at life" [3]. Those words resonated with me because they describe feelings that so many unemployed young people experience but rarely talk about. Behind every unemployment statistic is a young person trying to hold on to hope while searching for an opportunity.

When I needed help, I found it through SADAG. Thousands of other South Africans do the same every year. SADAG operates more than 30 national mental health helplines, including South Africa's only 24-hour Suicide Crisis Helpline, and supports more than 160 community-based support groups across the country [4]. These are not just numbers. They represent thousands of conversations, referrals, and moments when someone who feels alone is reminded that help is available. I know that because I am one of the people who found support through SADAG. According to SADAG Operations Director Cassey Chambers, demand for these services continues to grow [4]. This shows how important community-based mental health support has become and why organisations like SADAG play such a significant role in supporting unemployed young people.

The Department of Health has recognised this reality. Dr Dudu Shiba has acknowledged that unemployment and other socioeconomic challenges are contributing to South Africa's growing mental health crisis. Through the National Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2023–2030, the Department has committed to strengthening community-based mental health services and has said that it works with organisations such as SADAG [2]. These commitments are encouraging because they show that the government recognises the problem, but recognising the problem is only the first step. As someone who has received help from one of these organisations, I want to understand what these commitments mean in practice. If the Department says it is working with organisations like SADAG, what does that partnership involve? How are unemployed young people accessing these services? How is the Department strengthening community-based mental health support, and how is it measuring whether these partnerships are making a difference? This petition is not asking the Department to start from scratch. It is asking the Department to show unemployed young people how its commitments are being put into practice. Government has recognised the problem. Now it must show the public how its response is helping unemployed young people. When people know where to find support and understand how the government is working with organisations already providing it, they are more likely to reach out before they reach crisis point. I know I know what one phone call meant for me. Every unemployed young person deserves the opportunity to find that same support, hope and reminder that unemployment is not the end of their story. Please sign this petition and help us call for greater transparency, accountability, and stronger community-based mental health support for unemployed young South Africans.

References

1. Statistics South Africa. 2025. Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), Quarter 1: 2025. [Online]. Available at: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=19526[Accessed 25 July 2026].

2. Mkhwanazi, S. 2026. South Africa has fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa, the WHO says.TimesLIVE. 1 June. [Online]. Available at: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-06-01-south-africa-has-fourth-highest-suicide-rate-in-africa-the-who-says/[Accessed 25 July 2026].

3. IOL Reporter. 2026. Youth Month: The hidden mental health crisis behind South Africa's youth unemployment rate. IOL. 15 June. [Online]. Available at: https://iol.co.za/lifestyle/health/2026-06-15-youth-month-the-hidden-mental-health-crisis-behind-south-africas-youth-unemployment-rate/ [Accessed 25 July 2026].

4. Koteli, N. 2026. Mental health support group in South Africa spends R150k per month on suicide helpline. The Citizen. 11 June. [Online]. Available at: https://www.citizen.co.za/business/mental-health-support-group-in-south-africa-spends-r150k-per-month-on-suicide-helpline/ [Accessed 25 July 2026].