In 2015, the Republic of South Africa ratified its National Youth Policy 2015-2020 (NYP). One of
the policy’s four primary objectives is “to strengthen the capacity of young people to enable
them to take charge of their own well-being through building their assets and ultimately
realising their potential to the fullest” (Presidency, 2014, p. 12). This is a crucial objective, given
that about half of the country’s unemployed workers are youth ages 15-24 years (Statistics
South Africa, 2015).
Two-thirds (66%) of South Africa’s population is less than 35 years old (Statistics South Africa,
2014). To reap a demographic dividend from its “youth bulge,” the government’s strategy
entails investment in human capital development, particularly in education.
This paper examines South Africa’s progress in building young people’s human and labourmarket
capacities through education. Longitudinal data from Afrobarometer and the
Institute for Justice and Reconciliation’s (IJR) Transformation Audit indicate that the South
African government has succeeded in increasing access to education for the current
generation of youth. However, an analysis of unemployment data and trends in higher
education participation rates paints a less rosy picture for the prospects of South African
youth, particularly Black youth.
Although the NYP clearly indicates that the government considers young people to be one
of South Africa’s primary assets, a majority of South African children and youth still attend
under-resourced schools with poorly trained teachers (Spaull, 2013). Furthermore, the loss of
pupils in the school pipeline contributes to low levels of post-secondary education,
exacerbated by limited vocational skills training (Lolwana, 2012).
Despite government efforts, inequalities in educational attainment persist across races. Our
results suggest that further investment in public education, including upskilling of teachers, is
key to creating a generation of productive and fulfilled citizens. In addition, given the high
proportion of young people who fail to complete secondary education, vocational training
is an untapped resource for increasing employment and growing the economy.