South Africa: Nearly Half of Young People Are Not Working or in Training

What the report says

South Africa is facing a sharp rise in the share of young people who are not working, studying or in training, according to a GroundUp report distributed by AllAfrica and based on the latest Statistics South Africa figures. The NEET rate for people aged 15 to 34 has climbed to 45%, up from 38% in 2012. The figures were released on Tuesday and were presented alongside provincial comparisons for both the 15-to-24 and 15-to-34 age groups.

The report explains that NEET refers to people who were not employed during the survey period and were not enrolled in education or training. It also includes some people who were inactive for other reasons, such as caregiving, illness or disability. By this measure, a person who worked even one hour in the reference week is not counted as NEET.

GroundUp said the pattern differs by province. In most areas, the older age group has a much higher NEET rate than the younger group, reflecting the challenge many school leavers face when moving into the labour market. The Western Cape was described as an exception, with a smaller gap between age groups and a more stable trend over time, while the Northern Cape had the highest NEET rates in the comparison.

The article also placed the figures in a broader debate about how South Africa measures unemployment and informal work. That context matters because the NEET measure, like unemployment data, affects how policymakers and the public assess the scale of youth exclusion from work and education.