Latest news with #TheFutureofJobsSummit
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
23-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Cyril missed an opportunity to deal with youth unemployment
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 the 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 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. 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 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 of 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.
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]
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]
