Have the Springboks shown us how to tackle youth unemployment?

Well done Bokke!? World Champs for the 4th time… And such worthy winners too.? Now that I have recovered from the minor heart attacks, elevated blood pressure and “I can’t Watch” moments I must reflect on how truly amazing the “Stronger Together” message really is.? South Africa are the first rugby nation to win four men’s Rugby World Cups, and the second, after New Zealand, to claim back-to-back titles. They are undefeated in Rugby World Cup finals; and the only side to get the better of New Zealand in the final – twice! Remarkable for a country that not that long ago was hugely divided, especially on the rugby field, and was in fact excluded from the first 2 RWC competitions.

So how did they do it?? Siya and Jacques tell us that the win was 10 years in the making, with a goal to win in 2023 – but by putting a strong and thought through plan in place we not only achieved what we wanted but got there early.?? "When we won the World Cup in 2019, people didn't think we would do it - instead, they were hopeful because the plan was always for 2023, but things changed and we won in 2019, and this time our people expected us to win.” says Siya

But unpicking decades of systematic inequality takes time, and its not easy to get right.? ?Some aspects of the plan for change have been met with disdain, but there were pockets of advocates for doing things differently within the system, which is key to success. ?SA Rugby implemented its Strategic Transformation Plan in late 2014 with an aim to develop quality players in every position but in the beginning, it had little impact.? With Rassie at the helm, SARU started to create pathways to find players from disadvantaged backgrounds and to funnel them into the Elite Player Development programme (EPD) . The EPD targets the top U16 and U17 players in the country.? “EPD camps form a vital cog in our player development and strategic transformation structures, as these young players are the future of the game,” said Rassie.? The grassroots Get into Rugby programme forms part of World Rugby’s strategy to grow the game globally and encourage players of all ages to try, play and stay in rugby and is a crucial part of SA Rugby’s development initiative.? In addition, significant investment is made in the coaches of the future.? Transformation was the goal and Rassie drove this with steely determination.

The result? School scholarship programmes widened access and grassroots competitions built experience. Player stats were used as a mechanism to measure all players on the field as equals, irrespective of their background, race, or rugby heritage.?? This started to build trust and the “Stronger Together” narrative emerged, planting the seeds of transformation.? The result today is a diverse squad that in the majority has been nurtured from the ground up.? In the world cup squad, Paul Roos (3) and Tygerberg (2) are the only schools with more than one representative and whilst some of the traditional “Rugby Heritage School” names do feature, what is really encouraging is the spread and range of backgrounds and schools our players come from.?

Several players in the squad came through the EPD programme.? Jacques has in fact worked with many for over 14 years, nurturing them from the “naughty boys” he inherited to the high performing leaders they are today. ?Interestingly too, South Africa and Argentina were the only WRC sides that were 100% home grown and 0% foreign born.? Empathy, respect, love, family, care, and deep friendship is evident in all this squad does.? The trust and support each other 100% on and off the field. ??We created heroes, “people like me”, we built belief, we inspired a dream and a future generation.?

This side epitomises everything that I dream of for our beloved country – diversity, affinity, determination, guts, resilience, and a remarkable ethic of togetherness.? And they have proven to us the impact of being stronger together – it’s time to now sit up and listen South Africa!

So what can we learn? Building talent is a long term, continuous investment that must start at the grass roots and must be intentional.? It needs advocacy and a huge determination to change the status quo.? You cannot build a world champion team without a deep understanding of the end game, and a structured, thought through plan on how to get there that may take many years and some investment.? Talent comes from all walks, not just the top schools and universities.? It must be found, nurtured, supported, and developed through programmes that focuses on continuous improvement, strengthening, building of networks and teams, and investment in the teachers and trainers that set the expectations. ??It can’t be planned for a quick win; it can’t be bought in, and it can’t be wished for without commitment. Transparency and trust are key to success.

Imagining the possibilities. The ICT industry is experiencing a worldwide talent crisis.? There is a huge gap between the oversupply of digital jobs, and the undersupply of people with the skills to fill them.? ?In fact, experts make a case that the gap is now “dangerous” and is actively affecting our economic growth.? At the same time Youth aged 15-24 years and 25-34 years, bear the brunt of the lack of opportunity and jobs, with unemployment rates of 62.1% and 40.7%, respectively. The crisis is amplified among the Black African population, and gender disparity in unemployment remains stark, with Black African women being the most vulnerable.

It is imperative that we implement a grassroots up approach, with a talent development strategy, a system that unpicks decades of inequality and a way to create pathways that finds talent from disadvantaged backgrounds and funnels them into the right opportunities to allow their potential to blossom. Impossible I hear you shout loud and clear – the Sector Skills Initiatives and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment programmes have proven this cannot succeed in our country.? But hold on…hasn’t the greatest team in modern times (in my opinion!) just shown us what is possible with the right investment, commitment, leadership, dedication, and determination?

I am choosing to be the person that stands up with a steely determination to make a difference.? Through CapaCiTi we will show up for our phenomenal youth, we will model success.? ?I am led by you Siya, I hear you Bokke, I see you Rassie, Jacques and the team… I accept your challenge.? I’m going to roll up my sleeves, put my best efforts forward, speak positively about our glorious nation and talented youth and build a legacy worthy of the Springboks.?

Are you going to join me in doing things differently?

About CapaCiTi

CapaCiTi is a registered South African non-profit talent development and digital talent accelerator with a mission to drive inclusive growth in the digital economy, working to positively influence the future of South African youth by providing scalable digital talent development pathways and empowering the next generation with the knowledge and expertise demanded by the ever-evolving tech industry.? We work with visionary partners, including large corporations, local and national government, SMME tech organisations, education institutions and tech vendors, who possess similar aspirations of mobilising and supporting the underutilised youth asset of our country.? CapaCiTi’s demand-driven approach ensures that the skills trained are relevant to the ICT sector and that our candidates achieve certification that is aligned to demand.? This targeted approach has lead to the creation of over 6000 opportunities for marginalised youth and woman in sustainable and meaningful work. ?

?