initiatives that develop innovative commercial approaches to long-term job creation in ways
that combine profitability with high social impact. The infrastructure window co-finances light
infrastructure investment projects that are necessary to unlock job creation potential in a
particular area. Within the Support for Work Seekers funding window, there are Jobs Fund
co-financed projects that directly link active work-seekers, especially the youth, to formal
sector opportunities and job placement. This window specifically targets initiatives aimed at
facilitating rapid access to employment and work-related training for unemployed people,
with a special focus on the youth.
The initiatives that receive funding are those that can clearly demonstrate the potential to
ultimately place work-seekers in jobs through the provision of training, entrepreneurial
development, and job placement services. Given that institutional weaknesses may at times
inhibit the creation of jobs, the institutional capacity building funding window seeks to support
initiatives that will improve operational efficiencies, remove barriers to doing business and
catalyse innovation thereby increasing the potential for job creation. The objective is to assist
organisations that can influence the demand for labour and that can improve the efficiency of
the labour market. The goal is to unlock institutional barriers to job creation.
By December 2012, the Jobs Fund had approved fifty-four projects, twenty-seven of which
had signed agreements for funding totalling more than R1 billion. In December 2012, the
Fund made its third call for funding proposals, in the areas of Enterprise Development and
Infrastructure. This means that we must wait a few years before making a judgement on the
efficacy of the Fund.
The PICC was established in 2011 in order to meet the twin goals of developing
infrastructure that enables and fosters economic growth on the one hand, and creates a
significant number of new jobs simultaneously. The infrastructure development is intended to
create new jobs in construction, operations and maintenance sectors.
South Africa has an acute problem of youth unemployment that requires a multi-pronged
strategy to raise employment and support inclusion and social cohesion. High youth
unemployment means young people are not acquiring the necessary skills or experience
needed to drive the economy forward.
This above situation inhibits the country’s economic development and imposes a larger
burden on the state to provide social assistance. Stats SA figures for the third quarter of
2012 show that about 42% (21 million) of the population are between the ages 14 to 35 and
71% of all unemployed people come from this age ground. Unemployment among youth now
stands at 36%, meaning that about 3.3 million youth are neither employed nor studying.
Unemployment among young black people is 65%, up from 56% in 2008.
The Number of Unemployed Young People (15 - 24) not enrolled in Educational
Institutions
60