Opportunity magazine is a niche business-to-business publication that explores various investment opportunities within Southern Africa’s economic sectors. The publication is endorsed by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI).
Jobs are everyone’s
Jobs are everyone’s business So dire has the unemployment situation become in South Africa that some left-field solutions are now on the table. In the space of a few weeks in October, political leader Musi Maimane and John Dludlu, the CEO of the Small Business Institute, were arguing in favour of some kind of national service for young people. Dludlu, whose experience includes the editorship of the Sowetan newspaper, drew attention to the strangeness of what he was proposing in Business Day: “It may also be time to start thinking the unthinkable: reintroducing conscription.” He noted that white conscripts under apartheid had picked up “soft skills” such as discipline and opened academic and professional pathways. Maimane’s Build One SA political party presented “National Civilian Service” as one of the planks of its election campaign, the idea being to bridge the gap between school and work with a voluntary one-year programme that would also help clinics, police stations and schools with support staff. The private sector is supporting the YES4YOUTH internship programme and various levels of government are taking in young people to work in offices or be teacher assistants. Our news snippets section includes a reference to Harambee youth employment accelerator. The country’s Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are all seized with the importance of teaching skills that help people get jobs while at the same time trying to teach and promote entrepreneurship. Perhaps to create jobs – and in the absence of sustained economic growth – South Africa needs something startling. In this issue Jobs and relevant skills are at the heart of what CHIETA CEO Yershen Pillay does, and his description of his ambitious goals for the chemicals industry training sector, including raising digital skills levels, read like the sort of practical solutions that South Africa needs. The interview that leads the content of this magazine is an eye-opener. The sorts of internships that Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) like CHIETA facilitate has been rolled out by the private sector with astonishing success through the YES4WORK programme. More than a million opportunities to experience the workplace have been offered since the programme launched in 2019. The interview with Ntanganedzi Madzivhandila provides an inspiring insight into just how well the programme can work. In this young man’s case, with Nedbank, where his career is now progressing. Training and its effectiveness are the subject of Michael Hanly’s input. MD of South African online learning solutions provider New Leaf Technologies insists that training is not much use unless it can be assessed for effectiveness. Date is vital, he says. A practical skills project that culminates in employment opportunities in Kuruman is described by EduPower and innovators who have used their skills well are the subject of a report on an engineering competition. Business Partners has launched a fund to help small businesses get access to renewable energy to help them stave off loadshedding; Old Mutual is having success with its Hybrid Equity product, funding that tries to support projects that go beyond one generation; finally, Cerina Bezuidenhout unpicks the statistics related to the underfunding of women-owned businesses. DFA’s Praveen Govender stresses the need for collaboration if broadband is going to continue to break down barriers in South Africa John Young, Editor 12 | www.opportunityonline.co.za www.opportunityonline.co.za Editor: John Young Publishing director: Chris Whales Managing director: Clive During Online editor: Christoff Scholtz Designer: Salmah Brown Production: Yonella Ngaba Ad sales: Shiko Diala Vanessa Wallace Venesia Fowler Gabriel Venter Tennyson Naidoo Tahlia Wyngaard Mandlenkosi Dlamini Gavin van der Merwe Graeme February Sam Oliver Administration & accounts: Charlene Steynberg Kathy Wootton Sharon Angus-Leppan Distribution and circulation manager: Edward MacDonald Printing: FA Print PUBLISHED BY Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd Company Registration No: 2004/004982/07 Directors: Clive During, Chris Whales Physical address: 28 Main Road, Rondebosch 7700 Postal address: PO Box 292, Newlands 7701 Tel: +27 21 657 6200 Email: info@gan.co.za Website: www.gan.co.za No portion of this book may be reproduced without written consent of the copyright owner. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Opportunity, nor the publisher, none of whom accept liability of any nature arising out of, or in connection with, the contents of this book. The publishers would like to express thanks to those who support this publication by their submission of articles and with their advertising. All rights reserved.
