Latest news with #BEEI
Mail & Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
Academic offers mental health support to education assistants placed at North West schools
Dr Khido Ramadie. As Phase 5 of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) prepares to place thousands of young education assistants in schools across South Africa, support for their mental and emotional well-being is coming into sharper focus. In the North West province, an academic from the North-West University (NWU) is stepping in to provide such support to the 1 326 assistants allocated to the province. Dr Khido Ramadie, a mental health counsellor and academic in the NWU's Faculty of Education, is working closely with the North West Provincial Department of Education to offer mental health and wellness support to the province's youth education assistants. 'These young assistants are often caught between being learners and authority figures,' says Dr Ramadie. 'That can lead to identity challenges, self-doubt and social isolation, especially in unfamiliar school environments.' BEEI Phase 5, scheduled to begin in June 2025, forms part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. It provides job opportunities to young people while easing the workload on educators. However, the psychological toll on participants has drawn increasing attention. 'Many of them experience anxiety, burnout and financial stress due to delayed or inconsistent stipends,' says Dr Ramadie. 'Support must be holistic, covering emotional care, financial literacy, physical wellness and a sense of belonging.' Her services include wellness workshops, peer support structures and access to counselling. The initiative also promotes physical health through education on nutrition, managing fatigue and encouraging balanced workloads to reduce absenteeism. 'We are not addressing mental health in isolation,' she explains. 'We are creating a framework that equips youth to cope in demanding school settings and develop personally while contributing meaningfully to the education sector.' Using research-informed methods, Dr Ramadie and her team will monitor participant well-being throughout the programme, providing data-driven insights to inform support strategies. 'This is about more than just filling posts,' she says. 'It's about ensuring that those who are placed in schools are emotionally and physically ready to make a lasting impact.' As BEEI Phase 5 gets under way, the focus is shifting from placement alone to sustainable support, ensuring that those who are hired are also heard.
The Citizen
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
New platform Spaan opens new path for South African job seekers
With over 100 000 users in two months, Spaan is revolutionising job hunting in SA by providing verified, shareable profiles for job seekers. Founder and CEO of Spaan Afika Nontso with broadcaster Anele Mdoda at the media launch in Rosebank, Johannesburg on 10 June 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda Amid an above-30% youth unemployment crisis in South Africa, Spaan, the country's first verification-led employment platform, was yesterday officially launched in Johannesburg. Founder Afika Nontso said the platform was 'built to restore trust, dignity, expand access and connect job seekers to real opportunities'. Bridging the gap between tech and accessibility A SAP software product consultant and entrepreneur, Nontso has spent years working on innovative solutions that bridge the gap between technology and accessibility. With extensive experience in USSD, a communications protocol used by GSM cellphone projects, employment solutions and a 'passion for empowering underserved communities', Nontso said he has 'learnt how technology can give people access to jobs'. 'Within two months of being established, our registration has totalled 100 000. This is when I realised that a number of people are out there hungry for job opportunities. 'Verification, inclusivity and accessibility' 'Verification, inclusivity and accessibility is at the core of the platform,' said Nontso. ALSO READ: Ramaphosa urges employers to give BEEI youths their 'next opportunity' At the heart of the Spaan report is a shareable, verified profile, confirming a candidate's personal details, identity and qualifications. Spaan chief marketing officer Tlali Taoana said the platform was designed to 'reduce friction in hiring – helping employers access credible, pre-vetted talent, while giving job-seekers a fair and trusted way to stand out and prove they are ready to work'. Designed for all job markets Taoana said Spaan was inclusive by design, working across devices and accessible via mobile, USSD and WhatsApp. 'Whether you are a domestic worker in Soweto, a technician in Polokwane or a graduate in Cape Town, Spaan empowers you to show up with proof and be recognised in both the informal and formal job market. 'Through targeted national campaigns in townships, universities, informal markets and small, medium and micro enterprise networks, Spaan is already activating across the country connecting freelancers, tradespeople and professionals to meaningful employment.' For employers, Spaan simplifies recruitment, said Taoana. NOW READ: The dark picture of youth unemployment in South Africa
The Citizen
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Ramaphosa defends transformation, we must dispense false notion
Ramaphosa said economic growth without transformation entrenches exclusion and transformation without growth is unsustainable. President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended transformation, saying black empowerment is 'vital to inclusive economic growth.' Writing in his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa emphasised that 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, the country is reminded of its 'aspiration that the people shall share in the country's wealth.' 'Our Constitution reflects the promise we made to one another and to future generations to redress the injustices of our past and realise the full potential of our country. 'For this reason, we reaffirm that broad-based black economic empowerment is not just a policy choice but a constitutional imperative,' Ramaphosa said. ALSO READ: Ramaphosa urges employers to give BEEI youths their 'next opportunity' Inequality The president said that according to Statistics SA, between 2006 and 2023, black African households experienced real income growth of 46%, coloured households of 29% and Indian households of 19%. 'Despite this progress, the average income of white households is still nearly five times higher than that of black African households. This is the gulf we must close through deliberate and sustained efforts to expand opportunity. 'Transformation is not a favour. It is a necessity. The inequality of our past continues to shape the lives of millions of black South Africans. And yet many who continue to benefit from the legacy of exclusion continue to decry black economic empowerment and are even challenging it in our courts,' Ramaphosa said. 'False notion' Ramaphosa said economic growth without transformation entrenches exclusion, and transformation without growth is unsustainable. 'We must dispense with the false notion that we must make a choice between growth and transformation. 'We also need to challenge the notion that broad-based black economic empowerment is a cost to the economy. It is actually an investment in the economy,' Ramaphosa said. Last week, Ramaphosa came out swinging against critics of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), questioning whether their opposition is rooted in 'greed' or 'jealousy'. ALSO READ: US visit came amid 'increasing strain' between two countries, Ramaphosa says
Daily Maverick
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Presidential Youth Employment Initiative delivers 76,000 job opportunities in Q4 — but it's a drop in the ocean
Despite the creation of some jobs, youth unemployment in South Africa — now at 46.1% — remains a national crisis. The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) continues to deliver meaningful change in the lives of South Africa's young people, according to the deputy minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli. At a media briefing on Monday, Mhlauli highlighted the initiative's progress during the fourth quarter (Q4) of the 2024/2025 financial year, marking five years of sustained effort to combat South Africa's unrelenting youth unemployment crisis. During Q4 alone, 76,569 job opportunities were accessed by young people in South Africa, including 60,444 through and 16,125 via the Employment Services of South Africa. Additional highlights included: 15,137 private sector placements via the Youth Employment Service; 5,504 TVET graduates placed through the Department of Higher Education and Training; 43,000+ young entrepreneurs supported by the National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development; and 2,048 young people recruited under Phase 3 of the Revitalised National Youth Service. The innovative Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund also saw progress, with more than 5,400 young people enrolled and more than 3,000 placed into quality, sustainable jobs, with R70-million disbursed to 11 implementing partners to date. Bleak employment stats Three weeks ago, Stats SA released its Q1 Labour Force Survey for 2025, which revealed that the economy had shed 300,000 jobs and youth unemployment had increased to 46.1%. While the 76,000 job opportunities may alleviate the joblessness crisis for a small number of South Africans, it's not enough to address the crisis. 'The numbers are not as great as we want them to be, but we are seeing that we are making a difference,' said Mhlauli. The deputy minister said the recently released labour force survey showed that 132,000 new jobs were created in Q4 of 2024, and the opportunities created by the PYEI within that period contributed to the figure. 'Of course the job growth within the last quarter hasn't been as high as the previous quarter where we had almost 300,000 new jobs, but of course, in the 132,000 jobs that we are reporting in the last quarter we can see a direct correlation between what we are doing through trying to find employment opportunities for young people and the official unemployment rate of young people,' she said. Some young people still locked out In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), which on Monday saw 200,000 young people return to school, this time as teacher assistants. The BEEI, which was on hold for a year because the government failed to release the funding from the UIF Labour Activation Programme, aims to give young people work experience so they are more attractive to employers. In May, Daily Maverick reported that many unemployed young people were vying for limited employment opportunities, resulting in an overwhelming volume of applications for the very small number of opportunities offered by the nation's job placement programmes and initiatives. Omphemetse Setino (24) is one of the millions of young people who applied for the latest phase of the BEEI and didn't get a job, but still hopes to find employment. 'I applied in April and I was looking forward to actually getting a job, but I have not heard back from them, and all I feel now is disappointment,' said Setino. Setino told Daily Maverick that a position in the BEEI would have allowed him to help his mother support their household. 'I know that you can't get every job you apply for, but it's been four years since I finished matric and I am still unemployed,' he said. While he commended the government for creating pathways for employment for young people, he said more could be done. 'The only way you hear about these programmes is through word of mouth. I know so many people who are shocked when they hear the government is running a jobs programme, because the government is not communicating directly with us. They can go to malls for a political rally, but they can't go to schools to tell us which programmes are running and where. It's very disheartening,' he said. Mhlauli said the Presidency was working on addressing how it communicates about programmes in the initiative, including visiting stakeholders in their communities to raise awareness. Economic growth While Mhlauli acknowledged that the unemployment rate overshadowed the successes of the PYEI, Tshego Walker, the PYEI programme manager, said the government had to focus on economic growth because 'economic growth translates to jobs'. Walker said the department was working on a strategy to foster meaningful job creation for young people in light of the bleak unemployment stats. 'Our sister programme, Operation Vulindlela, is implementing structural reforms that will grow the economy. It is important that, as the economy grows, young people benefit from the jobs that are created, but we have seen in the last 16 years that this hasn't been the case. The relationship between economic growth and youth employment is a weak one. We have to make sure that we specifically focus on targeting young people and make sure that they benefit from that growth,' said Walker. Operation Vulindlela, launched in the aftermath of the economic toll the Covid-19 pandemic had on SA, aims to reform the nation's economy to drive growth. In May, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the second phase of the government-led initiative, which will focus on addressing spatial inequality to bring economic opportunities to townships and rural areas and develop a Digital Transformation Roadmap, in addition to expanding on the sector-specific reforms implemented during Phase 1. Walker said the initiative was focusing on the following interventions to address challenges in job creation for young people: Inclusive hiring: The Presidency is aware of hiring practices in the private sector that don't favour young people. Through the PYEI, the Presidency plans to shift hiring practices so that young people can benefit from new job creation; Supporting sectors with growth barriers: The Presidency will focus on addressing barriers to growth in specific sectors that can create jobs for young people, like the tourism industry, where international arrivals have not recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic; and Supporting SMMEs: Given that the current labour market cannot create jobs for the one million new entrants every year to the labour force, the government will focus on supporting young entrepreneurs to create their own pathways into employment through a Youth Hustler Fund. Engaging discouraged work seekers The Q4 labour force survey revealed that approximately 1.9 million young South Africans were unemployed but had stopped actively looking for jobs because they had become discouraged about the prospect of finding employment. Walker said that by reaching young people where they live, the Revitalised National Youth Service (NYS) aimed to incentivise discouraged job seekers to re-enter the labour force. The Revitalised NYS is a paid community programme for young people. 'They don't pay for transport to town, and it's solving community needs. Currently, in Phase 4, we have 40,000 opportunities that are going to these young people,' said Walker. She said the Presidency aimed to make the NYS a catch-all for young people who weren't in training or employment, and it would function as an alternative pathway to getting this group of people engaged in the labour market. 'What we don't want is seeing young people sitting at a corner. That is precisely what we don't want and that is what we are trying to address through this programme,' said Mhlauli. DM
IOL News
02-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Cyril Ramaphosa's Basic Education Employment Initiative empowers 200,000 youth
President Ramaphosa celebrates 200,000 young South Africans starting work at schools through the Basic Education Employment Initiative, gaining vital skills and experience for future opportunities. President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), describing it as a vital pathway to work experience and skills development for South Africa's youth. In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa highlighted that around 200,000 young people are starting jobs at over 20,000 schools across the country. 'Today marks the 'first day at school' for about 200,000 young people; they are not arriving at school as learners, but as working adults,' he said. This marks the fifth phase of the BEEI, South Africa's largest youth employment programme, now funded by the UIF Labour Activation Programme and national government. The initiative, a key component of the Presidential Employment Stimulus launched in 2020, returns after a year's pause, aiming to bring 'hope, energy and incomes' to areas where job opportunities are often scarce. The programme provides participants with essential work skills, including time management, teamwork, IT, administration, and problem-solving.
