Latest news with #FutureofJobsSummit
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
'SA Youth Must be Supported to Grow in the Content & Gig Economy'
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 Dr Iqbal Survé delivered a compelling blueprint for youth employment at the Future of Jobs Summit, emphasising digital transformation as a pathway out of poverty. Dr Iqbal Survé, Chairman of Sekunjalo Group, delivered a passionate keynote address at the Future of Jobs Summit 2025, presenting a comprehensive vision for leveraging South Africa's digital potential to combat youth unemployment. Speaking to government officials and industry leaders, Dr Survé outlined how the content economy and technology sector could become lifelines for millions of unemployed young South Africans. With youth unemployment reaching a staggering 62.4% for those aged 15-24, Dr Survé painted a bleak picture of the crisis facing the nation. 'This isn't merely a statistic; it represents over 4.8 million young South Africans waking up daily without economic dignity or hope,' he emphasised, drawing from the latest Statistics South Africa report. However, rather than dwelling on challenges, the business leader presented an optimistic roadmap centred on digital transformation. He highlighted the success story of Thato Joseph Mashifane from Dennilton, Limpopo, who transformed unemployment into entrepreneurship through his viral TikTok character 'Sis Maria'. 'Armed with just a smartphone, an old broom, a second-hand laptop, and an unshakeable passion for storytelling, Sis Maria launched a 'solopreneur' journey that took him out of unemployment queues,' Dr Survé noted. 'If one young South African can transform his future through media and technology, 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 Sekunjalo chairman, whose group employs over 8,000 people with 50% being black African youth under 35, demonstrated his commitment goes beyond rhetoric. The company is already nurturing young entrepreneurs at the secondary school level through initiatives like iAccelerate SA, a high school startup accelerator led by Deputy Chair Rayhaan Survé. Dr Survé's seven-point strategy focuses heavily on the creator economy, worth $104 billion globally. He proposed establishing 'Digital Content Creation Hubs' in townships and rural areas, equipped with professional equipment and training in video production, podcasting, and graphic design. 'We need a 'Township TikTok Academy' approach that could empower thousands to earn from global audiences,' he explained, emphasising South Africa's rich cultural heritage as a competitive advantage in the global digital marketplace. The technology apprenticeship programmes he outlined align with Microsoft South Africa's recent R5.4 billion investment commitment, which aims to train 50,000 people in AI, data science, and cybersecurity. Dr Survé sees this as a model for combining infrastructure investment with skills development. Addressing the gig economy, he noted that South African youth are already participating in global freelance platforms. 'Our youth are already teaching English online to students in China and working remotely on global platforms. We see them in McDonald's and Starbucks, intensely focused on laptops, doing business, and earning an income from anywhere in the world.' His vision extends to the gaming industry, where he sees untapped potential in South Africa's cultural narratives. 'Our cultural richness—from traditional stories to contemporary urban experiences—offers unique content that global audiences crave,' he said, referencing the $200 billion global gaming market.
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Celebrating Dr Iqbal Survé: A visionary leader honoured at the Future of Jobs Summit
Chairman of Sekunjalo and Independent Media Dr Iqbal Survé, received the Global Trailblazer Leadership Award from Dr Nik Eberl during The Future of Jobs Summit, T20 South Africa 2025 at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Thursday. Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers Dr Iqbal Survé, chair of Sekunjalo Investment Holdings and Independent Media, a visionary entrepreneur and innovator, has been honoured with a special Global Trailblazer Leadership Award. This took place on Thursday evening during the prestigious Future of Jobs Summit, a flagship event of the T20, the official think tank initiative under South Africa's G20 Presidency. In his acceptance speech, he said: 'All of us in our journeys are where we are because of the people that we work with and so I want to honour the 8,500 people in our group. I want to thank them for their contribution towards this award. And I think this award is really in honour of them.' He believed the award is a recognition for the role he played within the country and globally in fostering the interests of South Africa. 'I think for me it is only recognition of the work role I played in the World Economic Forum, in BRICS and in the Clinton Global Initiative and just generally trying to promote our country as chairman of different business councils between different countries for the last few decades. And I am optimistic about my country. I firmly believe you can change things,' he said. Survé talked about the importance of positioning South Africa on the global stage, advocating for a multi-polar world where the Global South plays a significant role. He emphasised his belief in fostering cooperation among nations of the Global South to promote mutual interests and development. 'I think South Africa must take its rightful place in the community and nations from an investment point of view, from a skills point of view and from a development point of view,' he said. He emphasised the need for a mindset shift, encouraging people to think differently and be more open-minded about collaboration, both within South Africa and with other countries. 'I haven't said we must work exclusively with the BRICS countries. I think there is a very strong place for us to work with the West. They are a big part of our history. They are a big part of our trade and economy and we just need to have a balanced approach to the world,' he said. He noted that people in different countries, such as the United States and China, have a strong sense of national pride and confidence in their systems, suggesting that South Africans should similarly believe in their own country and its potential. 'So we as South Africans should believe in our country and our rights. We must put our rights first and we must demand respect. We must demand that people respect our sovereignty and our independence,' he said. When he was chairman of the BRICS Business Council, Survé always made sure that South Africa was never a small state within BRICS. 'As much as our economy was a tiny portion compared to the other BRICS countries, I never allowed our delegation that attended these big meetings, either the business council meetings or the heads of state meetings to go there with a begging bowl. From the very first meeting I insisted, whether there were Chinese or Russians or Brazilians or Indians, that we are here as equal partners,' he said. He expressed deep disappointment with South Africa's approach during President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, describing it as a low moment in the country's 30 years of democracy. 'We looked like we were a banana republic. We didn't look like we were an independent sovereign country with a point of view. People should not interfere in what happens in our country. "Whatever our issues are around farmers, it is for us to sort them out. And not for us to go to another country and get them to sort them out. Why have we elected our leadership? They have been elected to solve these problems,' he said. [email protected]
TimesLIVE
20-05-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Future of Jobs Summit: driving public-private action to tackle youth unemployment in SA
Spearheaded by the Future Leader Forum, the Future of Jobs Summit is a bold new initiative to help turn the tide on SA's youth unemployment crisis. Taking place on May 22 and 23 in Johannesburg, the summit will bring together influential public and private sector leaders from SA and abroad to co-create the jobs of the future — with a firm focus on youth employment, digital skills and scalable solutions. Leading technology giant SAP, alongside major job creation enablers such as Adcorp, DP World, Workday and FNB, will unveil their bold strategies and pragmatic programmes for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent in an increasingly competitive global market. SAP in particular will showcase its globally acclaimed Educate to Employ and Young Professionals Programmes, which have already equipped thousands of young Africans with in-demand digital skills and meaningful career pathways. These initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness. A national mandate to mobilise jobs for youth Founder of the Future Leader Forum, Dr Nik Eberl, says the Future of Jobs Summit is not another policy talk shop — it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment. The Future of Jobs Summit is about co-creating jobs of the future through partnerships that work — and delivering those solutions at scale Dr Nik Eberl, founder of the Future Leader Forum Bringing together CEOs, ministers, labour leaders, skills providers, and community champions, the summit is structured around a singular mission: to create a sustainable and inclusive South African workforce. 'Youth unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy — and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity,' says Eberl. 'This summit is about co-creating jobs of the future through partnerships that work — and delivering those solutions at scale.' From dialogue to delivery: backed by the G20-T20 engagement track The Future of Jobs Summit is an official T20 Site Event (T20 being the think-tank of SA's G20 presidency) and will feed into the global G20-T20 agenda. The official summit outcomes report — capturing the top job-creation strategies, public-private partnerships, and sectoral pledges — will be presented to: The office of the presidency; The parliament of SA; and The G20 Plenary in November 2025. The summit is aligned with the G20's global commitment to inclusive growth, skills development, and job creation for the youth, making SA a leading voice in shaping a more resilient future of work. Success models already emerging: GBS and beyond SA's Global Business Services (GBS) sector is a standout success story that will be reviewed at the summit. With strong government support, global investment, and a young, trainable workforce, the GBS industry has already created over 150,000 youth jobs and is on track to deliver 500,000 jobs by 2030. 'GBS shows us what's possible when government, business, and skills providers align around a shared goal,' says Eberl. 'We must now apply that same formula across high-growth sectors — from tech and tourism to renewable energy and the care economy.' Call to action for leaders and changemakers The summit will feature: The CEO dialogue, leadership roundtables and panel discussions. Job creation success stories from the private sector as well as national, provincial and local government. A National Jobs Dashboard launch to track commitments and progress. 'We are building a movement of hope,' says Eberl. 'The Future of Jobs Summit is about giving our youth a future worth staying for — and showing the world that SA is ready to lead. We are thrilled to have representation from the public, private and nonprofit sector, including social entrepreneurs participating.'
The Star
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Future of Jobs Summit aims to tackle youth unemployment in South Africa
As South Africa grapples with the stark reality of youth unemployment, the Future of Jobs Summit is gearing up to present a strategic response aimed at igniting job creation and enhancing digital skills among the country's young population. Organised by a coalition of technology leaders, including SAP, Adcorp, DP World, Workday, and FNB, the summit seeks to unite the country's most influential minds in both the public and private sectors. Future of Jobs Summit founder, Nik Eberl, emphasises that this initiative transcends mere discussion. 'It is not another policy talk shop; it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment,' he states, underscoring the urgency of collective efforts to tackle the pressing issue of youth unemployment. Eberl believes that 'youth unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity.' Central to the summit's agenda is the unveiling of innovative strategies and programs designed to attract, develop, and retain top talent. SAP 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. 'These initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness,' Eberl explains. The summit is an official event under the T20 framework, 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. 'GBS 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,' 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's 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's unemployment crisis with actionable strategies and innovative partnerships. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Future of Jobs Summit aims to tackle youth unemployment in South Africa
As South Africa grapples with the stark reality of youth unemployment, the Future of Jobs Summit is gearing up to present a strategic response aimed at igniting job creation and enhancing digital skills among the country's young population. Organised by a coalition of technology leaders, including SAP, Adcorp, DP World, Workday, and FNB, the summit seeks to unite the country's most influential minds in both the public and private sectors. Future of Jobs Summit founder, Nik Eberl, emphasises that this initiative transcends mere discussion. 'It is not another policy talk shop; it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment,' he states, underscoring the urgency of collective efforts to tackle the pressing issue of youth unemployment. Eberl believes that 'youth unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity.' Central to the summit's agenda is the unveiling of innovative strategies and programs designed to attract, develop, and retain top talent. SAP 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. 'These initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness,' Eberl explains. The summit is an official event under the T20 framework, 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. 'GBS 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,' 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's 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's unemployment crisis with actionable strategies and innovative partnerships. The Star
