Approximately 55 young people from Soshanguve attended the City of Tshwane’s Ithuba Youth Economic Development Programme outreach at Falala Community Hall, where they were introduced to employment, entrepreneurship and skills development opportunities aimed at helping them enter the economy.
The outreach formed part of the City’s broader effort to address youth unemployment by connecting young people with training programmes, internships, business development support and technical skills initiatives.
According to MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning Sarah Mabotsa, the programme was established in response to South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate.
“For South Africans under the age of 25, unemployment is more than 60%, with three out of five unemployed young people never having had a job before,” Mabotsa said.
She explained that the Ithuba Youth Economic Development Programme was designed to equip young people with practical skills and opportunities needed to improve their chances of employment or self-employment.
“Ithuba means ‘opportunity’ in isiXhosa and focuses on skills development, entrepreneurship, job placement opportunities, driver’s licence support and supplier development,” she said.
During the Soshanguve engagement, officials introduced participants to the programme’s six development pillars, including entrepreneurship training, supplier development opportunities, internships and job placements, technical and artisanal skills development, driver’s licence assistance, and the Tshwane Business and Entrepreneurship Awards.
The City said young entrepreneurs can also access business support through its partnership with the Small Enterprise Development and Financial Agency (SEDFA), which operates business support centres across Tshwane, including one in Mabopane serving Region 1.
Mabotsa said the programme seeks to create pathways into the economy through partnerships with government entities and the private sector while encouraging young people to start and grow their own businesses.
She added that further outreach programmes are planned across Tshwane between August and October, with the next Region 1 engagement scheduled for 4 September 2026 at the Winterveldt Multipurpose Centre.
Interested young people can register for the programme through the City’s Ithuba online portal.
