Latest news with #2025FutureofJobsSummit
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Dr Iqbal Survé Calls for Digital-Driven Youth Employment at Future of Jobs Summit
Sekunjalo Group chairman Dr Iqbal Survé delivered a passionate and personal address at the 2025 Future of Jobs Summit held at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday. Speaking alongside civic and business leaders, including Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, FNB South Africa's Head of Marketing Katlego Mahloane, and Gauteng Legislature's Dulton Keith Adams, Dr Survé used the platform to spotlight the role of technology and media in combating South Africa's youth unemployment crisis. Receiving a warm welcome from delegates, Dr Survé veered off-script at moments to share anecdotes from his journey — from a young medical doctor to leading a multi-billion-rand conglomerate with over 8 000 employees. Half of them, he proudly noted, are black African youth under 35. 'Sekunjalo doesn't just talk about youth empowerment — we live it, breathe it, and invest in it daily,' he told the audience. 'This is why today's conversation isn't theoretical for us. It's practical. It's urgent.'Dr Survé highlighted Sekunjalo's investments across energy, media, ICT, e-commerce, and telecommunications, and drew attention to the group's philanthropic work supporting youth entrepreneurship and education through Survé Philanthropies. Focusing on the summit's core theme — jobs for the future — Survé zeroed in on digital transformation. He shared the inspiring story of Thato Joseph Mashifane, a young man from Dennilton in Limpopo who, after losing his job, turned to TikTok with a comedic character named "Sis Maria." With just a smartphone, broomstick, and a laptop, Mashifane has built a social media empire with over 1.3 million TikTok followers, turning content creation into a sustainable career.'This is the power of media and technology,' said Survé. 'If one young South African can rewrite his future with a smartphone and passion, imagine what millions could achieve.'
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Dr Iqbal Survé Calls for Digital-Driven Youth Employment at Future of Jobs Summit
Sekunjalo Group chairman Dr Iqbal Survé delivered a passionate and personal address at the 2025 Future of Jobs Summit held at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 22 May. Image: Itumeleng English Independent Newspapers Sekunjalo Group chairman Dr Iqbal Survé delivered a passionate and personal address at the 2025 Future of Jobs Summit held at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday. Speaking alongside civic and business leaders, including Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, FNB South Africa's Head of Marketing Katlego Mahloane, and Gauteng Legislature's Dulton Keith Adams, Dr Survé used the platform to spotlight the role of technology and media in combating South Africa's youth unemployment crisis. Receiving a warm welcome from delegates, Dr Survé veered off-script at moments to share anecdotes from his journey — from a young medical doctor to leading a multi-billion-rand conglomerate with over 8 000 employees. Half of them, he proudly noted, are black African youth under 35. 'Sekunjalo doesn't just talk about youth empowerment — we live it, breathe it, and invest in it daily,' he told the audience. 'This is why today's conversation isn't theoretical for us. It's practical. It's urgent.'Dr Survé highlighted Sekunjalo's investments across energy, media, ICT, e-commerce, and telecommunications, and drew attention to the group's philanthropic work supporting youth entrepreneurship and education through Survé Philanthropies. Focusing on the summit's core theme — jobs for the future — Survé zeroed in on digital transformation. He shared the inspiring story of Thato Joseph Mashifane, a young man from Dennilton in Limpopo who, after losing his job, turned to TikTok with a comedic character named "Sis Maria." With just a smartphone, broomstick, and a laptop, Mashifane has built a social media empire with over 1.3 million TikTok followers, turning content creation into a sustainable career.'This is the power of media and technology,' said Survé. 'If one young South African can rewrite his future with a smartphone and passion, imagine what millions could achieve.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The summit comes amid sobering statistics. Youth unemployment among South Africans aged 15-24 has surged to 62.4%, according to Statistics South Africa's latest social profile report. Survé called the figure not just alarming, but morally unacceptable. 'That number represents more than 4.8 million young people waking up without economic dignity or hope.'Still, he urged delegates to view the demographic youth bulge not as a crisis, but as South Africa's greatest opportunity. 'With 37% of our population under 20, we must act now. We must harness the global digital economy as a launchpad for youth transformation.' Referencing Deloitte and Business Research Company reports, Dr Survé outlined booming sectors — including AI, media tech, gaming, and cybersecurity — that are generating millions of jobs globally.' Are we preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies we haven't invented, to solve problems we don't even know about yet?' he asked, quoting U.S. Secretary Richard Riley. 'I choose to believe we are.' Closing his speech to applause, Survé reiterated his call for stronger collaboration between the private and public sectors to scale tech-driven opportunities. 'Our youth are not liabilities. They are our single greatest asset. Let's give them the tools, the platforms, and the belief to rise. 'The summit, led by Dr Nik Eberl of The Future Leader Forum, continues this week with a series of innovation labs and youth-led panels exploring solutions for job creation in South Africa's digital era.
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Dr Iqbal Survé says Ramaphosa missed an opportunity to deal with youth unemployment in South Africa
Chairman of Sekunjalo and Independent Media Dr Iqbal Survé, delivers a keynote address during The Future of Jobs Summit, T20 South Africa 2025 at the DP World Wanderers Stadium. Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers President Cyril Ramaphosa's Wednesday meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House has drawn criticism for not adequately addressing the pressing issue of youth unemployment in South Africa, which affects a staggering 65% of young people. Dr Iqbal Survé, Chairman of Sekunjalo Investment Holdings and Independent Media, holds a view that Ramaphosa missed a crucial chance to address the country's serious problem of youth unemployment. He was delivering a speech at the 2025 Future of Jobs Summit held at the DP World Wanderers in Melrose North, Johannesburg on Thursday, where he spoke about how South Africa can create job opportunities for the youth and a thriving economy. 'If I was the President of South Africa, I would have sat in the Oval Office room last night (Wednesday) and I would have said 'President Trump we have 65% unemployment amongst the youth. Can you help the youth of South Africa to be able to help themselves as part of a technological programme, etcetera, etcetera',' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ramaphosa's visit to the US was prompted by concerns raised by Trump about alleged violence targeting white South African farmers. Trump had granted refugee status to 49 Afrikaner farmers, escalating tensions between the two nations. Survé said while he agrees that the country needs to prioritise supporting farmers to ensure food security, it also needs to focus on tackling youth unemployment as a top priority. 'We can't have two-thirds of our youth having no hope, no future, no pathway to a career, no pathway to income and living in desperation. That is not acceptable, no matter what we say,' he said. He stressed that the business leadership and public service leaders should do everything possible to prioritise youth employment. 'We have no choice otherwise we are going to live in our ivory towers, behind high walls, fearful of our lives,' he said. According to him, youth employment issues require more than just annual discussions; they demand concrete actions and sustainable solutions. 'This must be top of the agenda. It must be the President's priority to be able to say to the nation '65% is too much (and) within a decade we are going to get that down to 20% and this is how we are going to do it',' Survé said. He shot down the notion that South Africa's primary issue being a skills deficit, suggesting instead that the problem lies in the inability to create opportunities for young people. 'We have the skills set. What we need to do is to create opportunity for young people to participate in these programmes, both technological and otherwise,' he said He stressed the need for platforms that accommodate diverse skill sets, enabling individuals without tertiary qualifications to leverage their skills and earn a living. Survé noted that there were countless success stories of individuals thriving in the digital economy, where people leverage tech and media to earn a living. 'Some of you call them influencers. It is a business in its own right. In the US at the moment someone can earn as high as 15 million dollars per year today in this particular space,' he said. He emphasised that business leaders and the public sector share a crucial responsibility to create platforms and opportunities, especially in the tech space, for young people. He criticised a delegate accompanying Ramaphosa for mentioning instances of violent crime resulting in throat slitting. 'How do you tell the world that someone is slitting someone's throat in this country? Never wash your dirty linen in public. That is the first rule. Leave it. Let them say what they want to say. Don't go and make the world think your country is a bunch of barbarians,' he said.
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Joburg Mayor Dada Morero addresses youth unemployment crisis at Future of Jobs Summit
Mayor of the city of Joburg Dada Morero, delivered the keynote address on during The Future of Jobs Summit, T20 South Africa 2025 at the DP World Wanderers Stadium. 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. [email protected]
