Cape Town – South Africa, like many countries globally, grapples with the challenge of youth unemployment. This is supported by statistics indicating that of the 10 million young people aged between 15 and 35 years in South Africa, 45.5% are unemployed.
Only 2.5 million are in the labour force, either employed or unemployed. The main reason for being inactive is discouragement. In other words, they have lost hope of finding a job that suits their skills or is in the area they reside.
Facing and reducing these concerning statistics is the responsibility of the public and private sectors.
At the same time, the country is facing severe challenges across the digital divide, which ‘disempowers’ thousands of South Africans who have neither the means nor opportunity to acquire formal qualifications to improve their prospects and break through the circle of poverty caused by a lack of education and unemployment.
The MTN SA Foundation is acting on MTN’s belief that in the present socio-economic climate, one of the country’s most serious challenges is the high level of youth unemployment.
Adoption of technology within disadvantaged communities is one of the key areas of focus that allows a greater contri-bution towards bridging the digital divide and addressing the high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment in South Africa.
MTN, through the MTN SA Foundation, is committed to creating digital access, fighting unemployment and helping to create a digitally competitive country able to compete on the international commercial stage.
As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, it is natural that South Africa should aspire to become a ‘digitally-skilled’ economy. There are, however, stumbling blocks on the path, including our lack of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates. And where these skills do exist, the development of entrepreneurial skills is required to broaden participation in the digital economy.
It is up to us to work together to enable young South Africans to compete internationally in the sector, and this is where the MTN SA Foundation has stepped up.
In 2023 it launched the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs initiative, a programme that combines digital qualifications with life and entrepreneurship skills and is focused on addressing the issue of youth unemployment in South Africa.
The MTN SA Foundation has a long-standing commitment to developing technical skills and digital education, and for the third year running, its investment of R14 million to equip 700 unemployed young South Africans per annum with marketable digital skills is a vote of confidence in the potential of the nation’s youth and a positive long-term step in helping to secure South Africa’s place in an increasingly digital global economy.
In 2024, a total of 900 unemployed youths across all nine provinces (100 learners per province) enrolled for the 12-month programme, with a total of 721 learners (of whom 60 % were female) completing the programme and graduating in December 2024.
The MICT SETA-accredited courses offered by the MTN SA Foundation – in partnership with the EBL Institute and Datacomb Development Hub – are designed to be inclusive and open to unemployed youth who are not enrolled in formal education or training programmes.
The 700 students selected for this year’s (2025) programme will be provided training on demand-led digital skills that include software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, Al and machine learning, network systems administration and other essential job readiness skills to prepare them for a future in the competitive ICT sector.
Structured to also offer opportunities for those with entrepreneurial instincts, the programme includes modules on various facets of establishing a business, life skills, and career and personal development, where programme graduates will receive SETA-accredited certificates.
Those who take the entrepreneurial path and start businesses will unlock their potential and, as their enterprises grow, become employers and create further opportunities.
MTN regards equipping the youth with these skills as the Foundation’s contribution to empowering deserving young people, drawn primarily from disadvantaged communities, with the skills required to achieve personal economic freedom through rewarding professional careers.
At the same time, the MTN SA Foundation is addressing the high youth unemployment rate and creating a stream of qualified youth, upskilled with in-demand digital skills ready to enter the multifaceted world of the digital economy.
This will hopefully inspire others to enter occupations that are essential to South Africa’s economic growth.
MTN’s ongoing commitment and investments in the Digital Skills For Digital Jobs and other ICT-based programmes reflect its pledge to make the sector more inclusive.
The MTN Skills Academy online platform is proof of MTN’s commitment to ensuring no one is left behind in the digital evolution. Initiatives like this are crucial for aligning South Africa with broader national and continental economic development goals.
The MTN Skills Academy is more than just a digital training programme; it’s a lifeline for youth seeking to secure their future in an increasingly digital world.
The Skills Academy offers career guidance and practical courses that are already making a difference in the lives of many young South Africans.
The platform aims to ensure that these young people are not just jobseekers but are also equipped to become innovators and leaders in their fields.
The MTN Skills Academy has been strategically incorporated into the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs Programme to ensure that all participants, regardless of their prior experience, receive the foundational digital skills needed to succeed in the official training programme, enter the job market, or start their own businesses.
The platform also leverages the strengths of partners, including PACE Career Centre (providing comprehensive career guidance) and online learning provider Coursera (providing basic, intermediate and advanced technology and business skills training).
Access to the MTN Skills Academy ensures that youth can look forward to digital and financial career pathways such as technology consultant, business analyst, IT project manager, user experience designer, IT support specialist, project manager, sales operations specialist, solutions architect, cybersecurity professional, front-end developer, and social media marketer, among others.
MTN’s journey towards bridging the digital skills gap is not just a vision for the future but a reality being shaped today.
By assisting youth and disenfranchised women with the skills necessary to achieve their dreams, MTN is making tangible contributions towards strengthening the socio-economic fabric of our country.
Together with South Africa’s youth, MTN is paving the way for a brighter, more digitally inclusive tomorrow.
