For many graduates, completing a qualification should be the beginning of a new chapter. However, for thousands of young South Africans, historical student debt can stand in the way of receiving a qualification certificate and pursuing employment opportunities.
To help address this challenge, the Absa CSI Trust launched the Graduate Historical Debt Relief Intervention and appointed the Feenix Trust to manage the clearance of historical debt for qualifying graduates. But the support does not end there. Through a partnership with the Youth Employment Service (YES), graduates may also gain access to opportunities designed to support their transition into the world of work.
The partnership is built on a simple idea: helping young people move from education into earning pathways as they prepare to enter the world of work.
What does the partnership offer?
The intervention combines three important forms of support:
Debt Relief with ABSA: For eligible graduates, historical debt can be settled, helping unlock qualifications that may have been withheld by education institutions.
Wraparound Support with Feenix: Through Feenix, beneficiaries can access additional support services, including financial literacy programmes and personal and professional development masterclasses.
Work-Readiness and Employment Pathways with YES: Through YES, graduates may be introduced to opportunities that help build workplace experience, employability skills, and professional confidence.
The impact so far
The impact of the partnership continues to grow, as of June 2026:
These numbers represent more than funding. They represent graduates who are now able to access opportunities that may previously have been out of reach.
What is YES?
The Youth Employment Service (YES) is South Africa's largest private-sector-led youth employment initiative. YES works with over 2000 businesses and partners to create quality work opportunities that help young people gain valuable workplace experience. YES has enabled 228,614 young South Africans to enter 12-month quality work experiences across 5,908 programmes, with 13.74 billions invested directly into youth salaries.
As part of this intervention, eligible graduates may be invited to participate in activities such as:
Participation does not guarantee employment, but it does provide access to opportunities that may support a graduate's journey into the workforce.
What should you expect?
If you are selected as part of the programme, YES may contact you to:
Keeping your contact information updated and responding to communication from the programme can help ensure you do not miss important opportunities.
Taking the next step
The ABSA, Feenix and YES partnership is about more than clearing debt. It is about helping graduates unlock their qualifications, access support, and prepare for the future.
If you meet the criteria outlined below, apply as early as possible and stay engaged throughout the process. Your qualification may be the key that opens the door, but support, preparation and opportunity can help you walk through it.
Learn more and apply today: https://bursaries.feenix.org/absa/