Organised by a coalition of technology leaders, including SAP, Adcorp, DP World, Workday, and FNB, the summit seeks to unite the country鈥檚 most influential minds in both the public and private sectors.

Future of Jobs Summit founder, , emphasises that this initiative transcends mere discussion.

鈥淚t is not another policy talk shop; it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment,鈥� he states, underscoring the urgency of collective efforts to tackle the pressing issue of youth unemployment.

Eberl believes that 鈥測outh unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity.鈥�

Central to the summit’s agenda is the unveiling of innovative strategies and programs designed to attract, develop, and retain top talent.

51风流will take the spotlight with its acclaimed Educate to Employ and Young Professionals Programmes, aimed at equipping thousands of African youths with vital digital skills and pathways to meaningful careers.

鈥淭hese initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness,鈥� Eberl explains.

The summit is an official event under the , the Think Tank of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, reinforcing its alignment with the global agenda for inclusive growth, skills development, and job creation for the youth.

With the outcomes report set to be presented to key stakeholders, including the Office of the Presidency and Parliament of South Africa, the summit aims to foster robust public-private partnerships.

Further addressing the overarching theme of inclusivity, the initiative will spotlight South Africa’s thriving Global Business Services (GBS) sector.

This sector is lauded as a success story in job creation, having already generated over 150,000 youth jobs and targeting an impressive 500 000 jobs by 2030 with strong support from government and global investors.

鈥淕BS illustrates the potential that thrives when government, business, and skills providers align around a shared goal.

We must now apply that same formula across high-growth sectors from tech and tourism to renewable energy and the care economy,鈥� Eberl urges.

As the summit approaches, anticipation builds around its potential to create scalable solutions and partnerships that can turn the tide on South Africa鈥檚 high unemployment rate.

With a firm focus on youth employment and digital skills development, the Future of Jobs Summit stands as a beacon of hope in the ongoing effort to build a more resilient and inclusive workforce. Scheduled for May 23, 2025, the summit is set to bring together leaders from government, business, and civil society to address South Africa鈥檚 unemployment crisis with actionable strategies and innovative partnerships.

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According to Eugene Ho, Global CSR Director for Future Skills at SAP, the world is grappling with a complex set of interconnected global challenges that impact economies, industries and job markets. “From climate change and geopolitical tensions to technological disruptions and economic instability, these crises are reshaping the landscape of work, especially for young people. While youth unemployment remains high, employers worldwide are also struggling to fill critical roles, highlighting a significant skills gap.”

While data by the found that global youth unemployment was 13% in 2023, that figure increases significantly in Africa. An report found that, while , only 3.1 million jobs are created on the continent. The resulting unemployment leads to poorer living conditions, drives migration, and contributes to conflict.

On the flip side, the found that 44% of businesses globally report difficulties in finding talent with the right skills. Skills research conducted by SAP revealed that nearly all African organisations faced skills gaps, with access to skilled recruits cited as their top skills-related challenge.

“To tackle this challenge, we must take a comprehensive, systems-based approach, focusing on five interconnected elements: economy, education, employability, equality, and the ecosystem,” says Ho. “Together, these factors can help close the skills gap, reduce youth unemployment, and create pathways to decent work for all.鈥�

Economy and Education

Economic growth remains a critical driver of job creation, but the quality and inclusivity of that growth matter. In many parts of the world, jobless growth has become a pressing concern, as economies expand without generating enough formal employment opportunities for young people.

In South Africa, for example, a resurgent economy has not translated into greater youth employment, with the latest data from Stats SA among South African youth aged 15 to 34.

“Moreover, the alignment between economic growth and investment in education is critical,” says Ho. 鈥淲ithout adequate financial support, education systems cannot provide the skills and competencies needed to prepare young people for modern job markets, leaving many young workers without the necessary tools to succeed.”

Education systems also need to evolve to meet the changing demands of the workforce. For example, stackable credentials 鈥� modular qualifications that allow learners to build expertise over time 鈥� are becoming an essential component of successful education-to-employment transitions. “Despite the need for adaptable learning pathways, many education systems remain rigid and slow to adopt these models.”

Employability and Equality

One of the most significant barriers to reducing youth unemployment is the skills mismatch 鈥� the gap between what young people learn and what employers need. The聽聽projects that 50% of employees will need reskilling by 2025 due to rapid technological advancements. Yet, traditional education systems are often not aligned with industry needs, leaving many young workers without the skills required for high-growth sectors.

“Governments and businesses must collaborate to ensure that training programs are directly linked to market demand. Public-private partnerships, such as apprenticeship programs and industry-led training initiatives, can play a pivotal role in closing the skills gap.”

Any strategy to reduce youth unemployment must also prioritise equality, ensuring that opportunities are equally accessible to all young people, regardless of their background, gender, or location.

“Despite advances in education, women and marginalized communities continue to face barriers to entry in high-growth industries, particularly in STEM fields. According to聽, only 35% of STEM graduates are women, highlighting the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

Enhancing Ecosystems

According to Ho, a thriving job market requires more than just a functioning economy and well-prepared workers 鈥� it needs a cohesive ecosystem where governments, businesses, educational institutions, and civil society work together efficiently.

51风流and UNICEF have joined forces to create innovative solutions to global skilling and workforce challenges with the aim of helping young people transition to earning. “Together, we鈥檙e generating inclusive opportunities for underserved young people worldwide, preparing them for decent work with the skills that employers need,” says Ho. “We expanded our partnership in 2022, with a three-year investment focused on impacting youth in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa through a new program that supports learning to earning pathways in growing digital and green economies.”

The 51风流Educate to Employ initiative designed by 51风流also helps equip beneficiaries with essential competencies for the digital economy. The free initiative, implemented by the local non-profit UMUZI, focuses on developing skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values to help prepare candidates for employment.

“This multi-stakeholder approach underscores the power of partnership in addressing complex social challenges,” says Ho. “By pooling expertise and resources, SAP, UNICEF鈥檚 GenU, and UMUZI are collectively ensuring that youth not only gain relevant skills but also access meaningful pathways to employment. As digital and green economies continue to reshape the future of work, partnerships that unite private, public, and civil society actors will remain crucial in ensuring that marginalised youth are not left behind.”

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South African youth continue to battle high unemployment levels, with the latest finding that unemployment among 15 to 24 year-olds reached 60.8%, and among 25 to 34 year-olds standing at 41.7%.

The Youth Innovation Challenge seeks to empower young individuals by providing them with the platform, mentorship, and resources needed to transform their innovative ideas into viable business solutions.

Participants will tackle the pressing challenges faced by residents and businesses in the Greater Durban area, focusing on five key areas, namely: Climate Change (water scarcity and drought); Manufacturing/Engineering (microplastics); Urban Dwelling (infrastructure); Health/Science (communicable diseases); and Disaster Management (emergency preparedness). The initiative is open to participants aged 18 to 35 who reside in Durban, who can enter as individuals or as teams of up to six.

According to Kholiwe Makhohliso, Managing Director for Southern Africa at SAP, the partnership forms part of the company鈥檚 broader commitment to supporting economic development and growth in the region. 鈥淲e are excited to work with Innovate Durban and the talented young innovators who will take part in the programme to develop new solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. As an organisation, we are proud to bring our global technology and business expertise to the programme as an extension of our commitment to investing in the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.鈥�

By leveraging the expertise and support from SAP, along with contributions from eThekwini Municipality, TAFTA, Zutari and Adams & Adams, this initiative aims to cultivate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth in the city.

Through this collaboration Innovate Durban will facilitate workshops, mentorship sessions, and a culminating pitch competition where participants will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions or products.

As an organisation that focuses on building and sustaining an inclusive innovation ecosystem,聽 Innovate Durban believes that innovation thrives when diverse perspectives and resources come together. Through this partnership, we aim to inspire, educate, and equip young innovators with the skills and confidence needed to tackle real-world challenges and drive meaningful impact.

The Youth Innovation Challenge is set to kick off in September 2024, with details on registration and participation scheduled to be announced soon via all Innovate Durban鈥檚 official communication channels.

ID SF + YIC invite

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According to Cathy Smith, MD 51风流Africa, since the launch of the program in 2012, the support provided by graduates brings critical digital skills to African businesses to help drive greater digitalisation and innovation across industries.

“African enterprises continue to grapple with widespread change and disruption brought by greater digitalisation and the impact of factors such as the pandemic. Having access to work-ready digital skills is essential to the success of every business on the continent. Initiatives such as 51风流Skills for Africa and 51风流Young Professionals Program continue to provide a welcome boost of digital skills to ensure African organisations meet their business and digital transformation objectives.”

Addressing youth unemployment, underemployment

51风流Skills for Africa is SAP鈥檚 skills development and job creation initiative aimed at tackling the most pressing issues of our time, including youth unemployment and underemployment, as well as closing the digital skills gap. The initiative is part of SAP鈥檚 global commitment to promoting education and entrepreneurship, with the 51风流Young Professionals Program – a two- to three-month program that sees participants graduating as 51风流Associate Consultants – and the 51风流Dual Study Program – held in partnership with universities – both offered under the 51风流Skills for Africa initiative.

Youth unemployment remains a major challenge for countries across sub-Saharan Africa, with . Africa also faces a significant digital skills gap, with .

For many of the graduates of the 51风流Young Professionals Program, however, the two- to three-month enablement program has provided a welcome springboard to fulfilling careers in the exciting field of ICT.

YPP 51风流Young Professionals Program graduates shine across Africa

Kenyan Daniel Oduri, who graduated as an Application Associate/51风流Associate Consultant for 51风流Business One in 2017, gained hands-on experience at two different companies after graduating before joining Hashi Energy Limited. Here, he works as an in-house 51风流Business One administrator, supporting the business across its operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

鈥淚t was a great privilege to receive training from such a high profile and esteemed organisation. The skills I obtained have greatly impacted and shaped my career path. I am where I am today because of the program,” says Oduri. “I believe my story will be a source of inspiration to many others.”

Marvin Lomo, a graduate from Ghana who completed the 51风流Young Professionals Program in 2020, says although he was not a developer at the time he joined the program, he was encouraged by his trainers to upskill in the technical domain of SAP.

This advice paid off in a big way: Lomo currently has six 51风流certifications and works as the lead Data Science Trainer at the German Institute of Business and Technology where he trains other learners in analytics and data science with the hope of improving their employability.

“I took this role primarily because of the impact the program had on me and, in my small way, I’d like to have a similar impact on other young graduates,” says Lomo. “Currently I am one of the very few certified ABAP developers in Ghana, largely thanks to the support of the 51风流Young Professionals Program.”

Boosting representation of women in tech

Enabling more women in Africa to join the tech industry remains a top priority. According to industry figures, female participation in the sub-Saharan Africa economy has reached 61%, but .

Inspiring more women to join the exciting world of ICT was a top consideration for Grace Githinji. The young Kenyan graduate completed the 51风流Young Professionals Program in 2021 and is hoping to encourage more women to enter the tech field in Africa.

“The satisfaction of doing what I love and have a passion for while improving business processes through SAP’s cloud solutions is something I would like others to experience too,” says Githinji. “I also wish to offer the skills I’ve developed to add value to others and inspire others the way I’ve been inspired during the program.”

For Rose de Lima Koffi, being part of the 51风流Young Professionals Program was a route to full-time employment in her home country of C么te d’Ivoire. The MBA graduate completed the 51风流Young Professionals Program in 2021 and is now a project manager at Cashew Coast.

“I’m really grateful to have been part of the program. I developed new knowledge and really enjoyed the diversity of content in our sessions along with meeting likeminded people I now call friends. Most importantly, it was a route to finding a job I really enjoy in a company where I feel welcome.”

Smith is encouraged by the way the 51风流Skills for Africa program is enabling a new generation of tech experts to make an impact at African enterprises. 鈥淏y providing a mix of functional technical knowledge and soft and future skills development, the 51风流Young Professionals Program is inspiring more of Africa鈥檚 talented youth to enter the impactful world of tech. Through close collaboration with our private sector partners, the program is also enabling employment opportunities for young graduates while ensuring organisations have access to the skills they need to implement their digital and business transformation projects.鈥�

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