President Cyril Ramaphosa has voiced serious concern over South Africa’s worsening unemployment crisis, following the latest figures released by Statistics South Africa this week. The country’s unemployment rate climbed from 31.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, an increase that means 291 000 more people are now without work.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC Northern Cape conference in Kimberley, Ramaphosa said the unemployment crisis remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges.
“I am continuously worried about the state of unemployment, and we are taking all steps and measures to grow our economy,” he told reporters.
Ramaphosa: Addressing Economic Barriers
Ramaphosa also acknowledged that sluggish economic growth continues to undermine job creation efforts.
“We need to unleash the levers of our economy and attend to the constraints and the impediments that are keeping our economic growth down,” he said.
He also stressed that the government is actively addressing the structural problems that make it difficult for the private sector to expand employment. At the same time, there is renewed focus on increasing public employment initiatives, particularly for young people and older job seekers alike.
Youth and Older Workers in Focus
Moreover, the president emphasised that unemployment affects South Africans across age groups.
“We want young people to find jobs, and even those who are 35 and older to be able to find employment and to be employed,” he said.
Additionally, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding economic opportunities and reducing unemployment.
“Unemployment is one of our overriding problems, and we are paying attention to it,” he said.
What more can be done to ensure economic growth leads to sustainable job creation in South Africa?
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