SALDRU’s Youth and Social Policy team co-host the Youth Month Webinar Series

Ariane De Lannoy and SALDRU’s Youth and Social Policy team co-hosted the Youth Month Webinar Series which was held by the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) at the University of Johannesburg in June 2025. The webinars unpacked key questions, shared evidence-based insights on South Africa’s ongoing NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) crisis and explored innovative solutions for youth development in South Africa. Drawing on recent data and lessons from the Basic Package of Support (BPS), the sessions explored the scale of youth exclusion and what integrated support can look like. If you missed any of the webinars or would like a recap, you can find them by clicking on the links below.

The first webinar painted a sobering picture: Over 3.4 million young people in South Africa are NEET and this number has barely shifted in a decade. Many are long term unemployed or discouraged job seekers, despite rising levels of education. Over 50% of NEET youth now have a matric and growing numbers have some tertiary education suggesting that qualifications are no longer enough to guarantee access to jobs or further learning. A significant number also face mental health challenges and income poverty, deepening their exclusion and making it harder to find opportunities. Watch the full webinar here: Understanding the NEET Situation In SA: A 2025 Update

The second webinar presented the Basic Package of Support as a promising, integrated response to the challenges experienced by NEET youth. The programme has been piloted in a number of sites across South Africa and the approach combines personalised coaching with connections to services such as mental health support, childcare, job readiness, and income support. Results show that after as few as three coaching sessions participants show improved mental wellbeing and growing connections to learning and earning opportunities. The BPS provides a pathway forward for young people that places them—and not just their employment status—at the centre. Watch the full webinar here: The Importance of an Integrated Approach to Youth Employment: Lessons from the Basic Package of Support for NEET Youth

The last webinar of the series explored whether insecure forms of work such as internships, gig work, and zero-hour contracts help young people transition into stable careers. The discussion was based on findings from the Precarious Work and Future Careers (PWFC) project, a collaboration between the CSDA, the University of Glasgow, and Tianjin University, funded by the British Academy. The findings from the study in South Africa showed that most young people in the study started off in precarious jobs, and few managed to move into secure employment. In fact, only 14% made that transition, while the majority remained in insecure work or became unemployed. Emphasis was placed on the need for better pathways out of precarious work through education, the strategic use of grants, and a stronger role for the private sector in creating decent, sustainable jobs for youth. Watch the full webinar here: Should Labour Market Regulations Be Relaxed to Promote Youth Employment? 

To read more about the Basic Package of Support (BPS), visit the website https://bpsforyouth.org.za/