2024 has been a year of impact – for YES, our partners, and the youth we serve. As we wrap up the year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our partners who share our commitment to transforming young South Africans' lives.
Together, we’ve achieved remarkable milestones, including 166,062 jobs to date and over R9.3 billion injected into the economy through YES Youth salaries. With your support, YES is the largest full-time, 12-month youth employment programme in South Africa. In this blog, we celebrate 2024’s successes and look forward to even greater achievements in 2025.
2024 in summary
YES marked a significant year with impactful events and initiatives, including the highly anticipated YES Top 35 Under 35 Awards, which celebrated young leaders and entrepreneurs driving change in South Africa. These events, along with continued collaborations with key partners, helped to bolster YES's mission of enhancing the employability of youth across the country.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey for quarter three reported a 0.6% decrease to 55.4% in the overall expanded definition for youth aged 15-34. Despite the decrease, there are still 7.19 million young South Africans unemployed and discouraged. As we face this enormous youth unemployment challenge in South Africa, we take pride in the meaningful impact the YES salary has on families and communities.
Impact to date
- 166,062+ work experiences created
- 1,815+ corporate signups
- R9.3bn+ deployed into the economy
- 57% of YES Youth are young women
- 45% of YES Alumni are employed
- 15% of YES Youth are engaged in entrepreneurial activity
- 74% of YES Youth come from grant-recipient households
- 78% of YES Youth have financial dependents
2024 highlights
Inaugural YES Implementation Partner (IP) Awards: The event aimed to gather not only in celebration, but to recognise the profound impact and invaluable contributions made by our esteemed Implementation Partners. Read more here.
Sanlam and YES Y4T Art Exhibition: In partnership with YES, Sanlam officially launched the highly anticipated Youth4Tourism (Y4T) Art Exhibition at the Sanlam Art Lounge in Alice Lane, Johannesburg. Read more here.
Future of HR Conference: YES was featured at the Future of HR Conference as a key sponsor and exhibitor held at the Emperors Palace Convention Centre on 4 and 5 September 2024. This event provided a platform for YES to showcase its commitment to youth employment and sustainable business practices while engaging with industry leaders and exploring opportunities for collaboration. Read more here.
ESG Awards: The YES ESG Awards, held at the ESG Africa Conference 2024, celebrate the outstanding efforts of private sector companies in driving social impact through job creation. Read more here.
YES Top 35 Under 35 Awards Ceremony: YES hosted its inaugural Top 35 Under 35 YES Alumni event in partnership with Daily Maverick on 10 October 2024. The event celebrated and recognised the remarkable achievements of young leaders who have transformed their YES experience into impactful careers and innovative businesses. Read more here.
Spanish Chamber of Commerce Breakfast: YES hosted a successful breakfast event in collaboration with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The breakfast was to discuss youth employment initiatives. This gathering included business leaders and diplomats, focusing on how YES’s programmes can drive youth employment and promote economic inclusion. A proposed Youth Exchange Programme between Spain and South Africa was also introduced, aiming to strengthen cultural and professional ties between the two countries. Read more here.
Media recognition
YES has been featured in prominent publications such as Business Day, Cape Argus, Daily Maverick, and The Star. YES engaged in broadcast interviews with eNCA, NewzRoom Afrika, Question Think Act, Cape Talk, and SAfm. Online coverage included Bizcommunity, IOL, BusinessTech, and Engineering News.
In case you missed it: Here’s a list of some of the pertinent pieces written by YES staff in 2024:
YES CEO Ravi Naidoo in the Sunday Times: Unlocking the untapped potential of our youth for economic growth. Read more here.
YES co-chair, Colin Coleman, emphasises the urgent need for South Africa's government, businesses, and labour organisations to unite in driving higher economic growth, addressing unemployment, inequality, and poverty, and fostering investment and job creation through collaborative strategies and infrastructure improvements. Read more here.
YES Business Development Strategic Director, Samantha Steyn: YES is proud to be at the forefront of providing young South Africans with the opportunity to gain valuable experience in this dynamic sector. Read more here.
Leanne-Emery Hunter, YES COO, discusses South Africa's twin challenges of youth unemployment and talent shortages. Read more here.
Simona Mazza, YES Head of Strategic Research and Marketing Services, discusses the challenges and opportunities in South Africa's mining industry. Read more here.
Aditi Lachman, YES Head of Youth Programmes, discusses how job is key to easing youth mental health issues. Read more here.
Blogs
- How to unlock up to two levels on your B-BBEE scorecard before FYE
- Transforming the future through B-BBEE in the retail sector
- The Role of NGOs, NPOs and corporates in tackling unemployment
- A bold new future for South African mining with YES.
- Nedbank and YES: Giving young people an opportunity
- YES and Employment of Women and Youth in South Africa Collaborate to Boost Employment in Alexandra and Soweto
- Shaping futures: Public-Private partnerships driving youth employment in Gauteng.
Webinars
#SayingYES to a future that works
We look forward to a more prosperous and impactful new year. Through our collaborative efforts, 2025 has the potential to see us create tens of thousands more youth jobs.
Thank you for your investment in our country’s youth. Your contribution plays a critical role in transforming lives, communities and co-creating a future that works for all. We are grateful for your commitment to helping empower a whole generation to become the architects of their own success stories and agents of change in our society. We wish you a safe and joyous festive season as we prepare to create a greater impact in the coming year.
Amendment to the Gazette