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Residents say their degrees are gathering dust.
An economist has warned that South Africa faces a worsening unemployment crisis, with job creation failing to keep pace with demand.
Associate Professor at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, Justine Visagie, says only about 130 000 formal jobs have been created annually over the past decade.
Visagie is calling for fresh thinking, including greater support for the informal economy and expanded social support measures to address the scale of the crisis.
“Just the human and social implications of people who might want to work, who are willing to work, but can’t find work and are forced to go hungry, is a real social crisis. And we do get used to it. We, as a country, talk about our joblessness all the time, but these aren’t just numbers; these are people,” she says.
WATCH | As South Africa observes Freedom Day, some citizens believe political emancipation has not translated into economic freedom, with high unemployment, a lack of opportunities, and safety concerns still plaguing the country. pic.twitter.com/YAESpoWo3a
— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 27, 2026
Visagie says as someone who is an economist and who looks at the numbers carefully, it’s important to admit that even our best-case scenario is not going to wipe out this joblessness and this hunger. Therefore, we do need to think seriously about our options as a country.
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