The number of unemployed young people increased by 181,000 to 4.7 million.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that youth unemployment in South Africa has reached crisis levels, posing a serious threat to the country's prosperity and social stability.
In his Budget Vote speech delivered in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, he highlighted the urgent need for effective measures to tackle the rising joblessness among young people.
Among other measures, he announced that the government will invest R1 trillion over the next three years to drive economic growth and create jobs.
“Over the next three years, the state will be investing R1 trillion in building and refurbishing roads, dams, schools, hospitals and clinics, as well as energy, logistics and transportation infrastructure,” he said on Tuesday.
