The Solution to Unemployment in South Africa

Tuesday the 23rd of February was a really dark day for South Africa; or at least it should have been if one had really been paying attention. On that day Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released their Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) results which showed South Africa’s unemployment had again increased and now stood at 32,5% or 7,2 million people.

To make matters worse that’s only the ‘official’ unemployment figure. Expanded unemployment now stands at over 11 million people or 42,6%!

Sadly when reading the news we’ve become immune to all the talk about millions and sometimes even billions. It’s so easy to just glance over the stats and even easier to lose perspective. So to help that’s almost as many people unemployed as everyone living in the entire KwaZulu-Natal province. Put differently that’s the whole population of a bustling city like Cairo AND the whole of Soweto.

Deeply concerned and appalled by these numbers, Harry Welby-Cooke, of ActionCOACH Business Coaching, launched the EveryONE EmployONE initiative (For more information visit: https://bit.ly/38VMwQm

ActionCOACH Southern Africa truly believes the biggest challenge we face as South Africans, perhaps even the only real challenge, is the unemployment crisis. If we give people employment we give them choice. The choice to take back control of their own lives. When we fix the scourge of unemployment we fix South Africa. Human beings are wired to contribute but without employment there can be no contribution; there can be no fix.

But there is a solution. We are the solution. Each and every one of us. Solving the unemployment crisis lies in the lap of every business owner and entrepreneur.

With around 3.5 million businesses currently in South Africa - from informal traders to Small and Medium Enterprises, large business and even corporates – we are the solution. If EveryONE employs just ONE person – WE would cut the official unemployment figure in half.

There is no politician in our lifetime that will cut unemployment in half but we can do it, by joining forces. Business owners are the future of the SA economy.

This campaign is created to encourage all our business owners and entrepreneurs to employ just one more person in their business.

If we collectively do this, it will have a huge impact on South Africa's economy. We challenge you to be part of this unbelievable initiative. We dare you: EveryONE EmployONE!

#EveryONEemployONE

For more information e-mail us at [email protected]