Joburg Mayor Dada Morero addresses youth unemployment crisis at Future of Jobs Summit
Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
Joburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero has expressed deep concern about the dire situation of youth unemployment in Gauteng, where nearly half of the province's labour force is jobless.
He highlighted this issue at the 2025 Future of Jobs Summit held at the DP World Wanderers in Melrose North, Johannesburg on Thursday.
The summit is a flagship event of the T20, the official think tank initiative under South Africa's G20 Presidency.
Through his speech titled "Empowering Johannesburg's Youth: Building a Vibrant Future," Morero emphasised that Johannesburg is a significant contributor to South Africa's R6.97 trillion GDP, but beneath this economic success lies a pressing issue of high youth unemployment rates that imperils sustainable growth.
"This is not merely a social crisis—it is an economic emergency that directly impacts business sustainability, consumer spending power, and investment confidence," he warned.
The mayor noted that over 60% of Joburg's 5 million residents are under 35, with nearly half struggling to find productive employment opportunities.
To tackle this challenge, he outlined his administration's strategic response, consisting of four pillars of youth empowerment: digital economy and 4IR Skills, green economy and infrastructure development, township economy activation, and innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
He said: 'Our digital public infrastructure strategy, supported by artificial intelligence, will create 2 000 high-tech positions by 2026. Through our Global Business Services centre in Alexandra, where 90% of the workforce are young people, we are partnering with Business Process Enabling South Africa to train 30% of unemployed youth in coding, AI, and cybersecurity.'
By 2026, he said, at least 10,000 young Joburgers would have been trained in digital skills aligned with market demand from our technology partners.
Regarding the green economy, he said the city's R3.03 billion investment in underserved areas such as Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Orange Farm, Soweto, Riverlea, Zandspruit, and Eldorado Park.
According to him, the investment will create immediate employment whilst building long-term economic infrastructure.
'The R296 million electrification programme will also lead to training young people in renewable energy systems installation and maintenance,' he said.
Morero also highlighted the potential of township economy activation, citing the example of the Joburg Market, which handles R1bn worth of fresh produce monthly.
However, he noted that 90% of spending goes to large commercial farmers, resulting in R500 million being drained from poor communities each month.
He further talked about the importance of integration with provincial and national programmes, mentioning that Johannesburg plays a crucial role as an implementation hub for key national initiatives.
He highlighted the Presidential Support Package, launched in March 2025, which is being coordinated through the city's Service Delivery War Room.
He called for unprecedented collaboration among all levels of government and sectors of society to tackle the youth unemployment crisis.
Morero urged businesses to view youth employment as a strategic investment in market development and skills acquisition, rather than just corporate social responsibility.
'Partner with us not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is good business in a city where young consumers represent the largest market segment,' he said.
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