Mental health and wellbeing has been a global topical conversation starter, both online and around the dinner table, for the past few years. In South Africa, the pandemic and the worsening unemployment rate has wreaked havoc on the populace. Specifically, unemployment is one of the leading triggers to declining mental health.[1] South Africa’s unemployment crisis has seen record highs, especially in the past two years, affecting not only the individual’s mental health and wellbeing, but that of their families and dependents – rippling across generations.
According to the Mental State of the World report, South Africa ranks as one of the lowest in the world in terms of mental health wellbeing, scoring 46%.[2] The deterioration of the country’s wellbeing has presented itself as a pandemic of its own.
A 2012 study on people and the consequences that unemployment had on them was carried out by South African researchers Hans de Witte, Leone TB Jackson and Sebastiaan Rothmann.[3] The findings (outlined below) are just a relevant today as they were then:
The knock-on effects of COVID-19 have aggravated the unemployment crisis across the country. According to StatsSA, 2.2 million jobs were lost in the height of the pandemic between January 2020 and September 2021. Those who were able to maintain employment as compared to those who faced job losses proved to have much lower levels of depression and mental health issues.[5] Years of research indicate that the experience of and loss associated with unemployment can have severe consequences on one’s mental health. The repercussions are largely seen socially, economically and psychologically, making combatting unemployment even more necessary for the wellbeing of the country.
You can make a difference with YES
Partnerships with YES are about more than jobs for youth – they are about driving maximum social impact through youth job creation. Research shows that higher education and employment are a few of the key determinants associated with high levels of mental wellbeing found in people.[6]
Co-creating a future that works for all has great impact on the economy and country, along with restoring the mental wellbeing of South African youth. YES’s partnerships with over 2,200 businesses have a direct impact on the morale and overall wellbeing of young people, their families and communities, and ultimately the country.
YES, a not-for-profit, private sector led initiative, addresses the country’s youth unemployment crisis by empowering businesses to create jobs for our unemployed youth. We’re youth-focused and business-led. We work with leading businesses in various sectors to provide 12-month quality work experiences for unemployed young people to be future managers, skilled professionals, and entrepreneurs who will drive the economy forward. For most youth, this is their first employment in the private sector.
More than this, YES seamlessly integrates into your company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) strategies, helping your organisation increase impact in spaces where it’s needed most and that mean the most to your organisation.
An example of how your partnership with YES changes lives
Sihle* – Medical sales rep, Medtronic Southern Africa
After years of enduring the pain of being in an abusive relationship, Sihle* found purpose and regained her confidence after starting her YES programme.
Sihle*, for a long period, believed that she would never amount to anything and was as useless as her then partner made her believe. The emotional and mental abuse she endured still brings her to tears today. However, she is proud of the great steps she has taken to leave her taxing relationship, find her true self again, and live it out to the best of her abilities. Domestic abuse or intimate partner violence have a deep relationship with mental health issues found in the victims.[7] This, in turn, affects the confidence and self-belief to land and keep a job, which only further entrenches feelings of inadequacy, isolation and uselessness. It is a vicious cycle. These issues do not disappear and take a great amount of professional, personal and societal help to tackle them efficiently. Once she landed the opportunity on the YES programme, Sihle* began to feel more self-sufficient and confident as she began to contribute. Sihle* has found more than just a work opportunity, she has found a community that continues to support and reassure both her and her healing journey.
Sihle* comes from Limpopo and found out about the YES programme and opportunity online. After completing school, she had been unemployed for two years. She is now doing exceptionally well as a medical sales representative at Medtronic Southern Africa and has dreams to be the owner of a successful chain of enterprises in a few years. The positive effects of her work experience have reinforced and rebuilt the confidence missing in her for so long. This employment opportunity has allowed Sihle* to be independent and trust in herself one again.
Business’ investment in jobs for young people has far-reaching impacts beyond a monthly salary.
Join the movement
Take the first step and change South Africa’s trajectory. Through inter-sectoral collaboration, we can build back better. Join over 2,200 companies signed on to YES and making difference.
[1] https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/11877/thesis_mabela_cs.pdf;sequence=1
[2] https://www.wecanchange.co.za/post/poor-mental-well-being-south-africa-must-prioritise-mental-health
[3] http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/sajems/v15n3/01.pdf
[4] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249352#:~:text=This%20study%20showed%20that%20among,than%20those%20who%20retained%20employment.
[5] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249352#:~:text=This%20study%20showed%20that%20among,than%20those%20who%20retained%20employment.
[6] https://sapienlabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Mental-State-of-the-World-Report-2021.pdf
[7] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-06-14-intimate-partner-violence-in-s-africa-the-staggering-stats-and-the-solutions/
Amendment to the Gazette