Business leaders, technology experts and youth advocates say South Africa’s unemployment crisis requires urgent collaboration, digital infrastructure investment and AI driven reskilling to prepare young people for the future of work.
As South Africa grapples with an unemployment crisis the 2026 Future of Jobs Summit held at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton on Thursday provided a detailed road map on how government and businesses in South Africa can come together to put an actionable plan in place to create jobs and prepare the future workface in gaining employment.
During panel discussions held at the Summit, it was revealed that the worsening unemployment crisis and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) are forcing business leaders, policymakers and youth advocates to confront an urgent reality: traditional approaches to job creation are no longer enough.
With youth unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 sitting at 45.8%, experts said the country must rethink how it prepares young people for a rapidly changing labour market increasingly shaped by technology, automation and digital skills.
Speaking during discussions focused on the future of work and employability in Africa, business leaders and youth development advocates stressed that collaboration between corporates, government and civil society will be critical to creating sustainable employment pathways.
