Breaking the barriers to youth employment: Digital infrastructure is key

Telkom Group chief of corporate affairs, Mpho McNamee

"While there are many pressing challenges in South Africa today, the need to invest in our youth remains a very high priority," Telkom Group chief of corporate affairs Mpho McNamee told delegates attending the Trialogue Business in Society Conference 2025.

The conference was held in May at The Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg, under the theme ‘Driving impact, Inspiring change’. McNamee delivered the opening address for a panel discussion entitled ‘From classroom to career: Unlocking opportunities for South Africa’s youth’.

In her opening remarks to the Telkom-sponsored session, she noted with concern that more than half of young South Africans between the ages of 15 and 34 are not economically active. “This is not just a statistic. It's a crisis that impacts families, communities and our nation's future." ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Digital infrastructure as the foundation for opportunity

The panel featured Judy Vilakazi (the head of the Telkom Foundation); Dumisile Nala (Childline chief executive officer); Zengeziwe Msimang (Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator chief communications officer); and Kabelo Mthenjane, a Telkom beneficiary who is employed as an intern in the financial accounting department.

Telkom has positioned digital connectivity as a critical enabler for youth development, moving beyond basic internet access to create comprehensive pathways to opportunity. As part of its corporate social investment (CSI) strategy, the company has invested in information and communication technology (ICT) labs reaching over 10 000 South African learners in the past two years and trained around 2,000 teachers to integrate technology into classroom learning.

"We believe that providing connectivity is about more than internet access. It's about connecting young people to opportunities, starting with education and skills development," explained Vilakazi. "We believe combining technology with education is an equaliser."

Telkom's zero-rated platform provides access to supplementary science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, live classes, past papers and tutoring services, removing data costs as a barrier to educational advancement. This approach directly addresses the digital divide that prevents many young people from accessing online learning opportunities.

More than 1,600 young people have participated in Telkom's training programmes, learning coding, data analytics, and problem-solving skills through practical, real-world placements that prepare them for the digital economy.

Telkom beneficiary Kabelo Mthenjane, who exemplifies the potential of integrated support systems, told audiences his story of how Telkom’s interventions at different stages of his journey helped to guide his way. The donation of ICT infrastructure to his school and access to additional learning platforms led to career guidance, tertiary education application support and comprehensive funding that helped him through his studies. Now a Telkom intern, he is gaining essential skills and work experience on the job.

Where each moment of challenge might have resulted in lost opportunity and Mthenjane falling through the cracks as so many young South Africans do, these interventions have enabled a narrative of success that has advanced his education and career opportunities.

Addressing trauma as a barrier to success

The panel emphasised that educational and skills interventions cannot succeed without addressing the underlying trauma that many young South African experience from an early age. Nala spoke compassionately of the critical importance of psychosocial support at every stage of young people’s progress from education to employment.

"Our children are experiencing continuous trauma, which is why we see a lot of mental health challenges," she said. "Psychosocial support is critical for young people and has to start very early on. A traumatised child cannot engage."

She stressed that effective support must be long-term and sustainable, responding to needs that are "not limited in time" because "lives are continuous”. This holistic approach recognises that young people need mental resilience alongside technical skills to thrive in the workplace.

Breaking down employer barriers

Msimang set out the significant structural barriers in the labour market that prevent young people from transitioning easily into employment.

Noting that of the one million young people entering the labour market annually, as many as 600,000 of these find themselves outside of education, employment or training opportunities each year. "We need to look at entry-level roles and reduce their barriers to entry," said Msimang. "Employers need to be intentional about addressing exclusionary practices and inclusive hiring, being cognisant of factors that impede young people from seeking and retaining jobs."

Unrealistic experience requirements, a lack of professional networks and the cost of transport in our poorly designed urban layouts create additional barriers that technology can help address. Msimang emphasised the need for employers to shift from "betting" on young people to "investing" in them.

Scaling solutions through collaboration

The panel stressed that sustainable impact requires coordinated efforts across sectors. Msimang gave the example of The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention's SA Youth Platform as a one such coordination space. Currently supporting 4.5 million learners, the platform demonstrates the potential for scale of what can be achieved when public and private sectors collaborate effectively.

"We need the private sector, government, and nonprofits to work together," said Msimang. "There's a lot of work happening in silos, but there are strategies to pull it together. Scale is possible when we collaborate and work together."

The panel concluded with a call for sustained, strategic investment in youth development that addresses barriers rather than imposing predetermined solutions.