The biggest private-sector employment initiative for the youth in South Africa, the Youth Employment Service (YES), has announced that it has entered a strategic partnership with automotive enterprise BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA), major commercial Bank Absa and an unnamed major international donor funder, aimed at helping unemployed graduates by filling the gap between graduation and employment.
Through this partnership, BMW will provide 12 months of paid and full-time work experience. Absa will grant historical debt relief for those graduates who qualify. The international donor will provide top-up salary support.
“This partnership with BMW Group and Absa represents a powerful commitment to unlocking sustainable youth employability at scale,” affirmed YES CEO Ravi Naidoo. “By placing these graduates into strategically relevant sectors, specifically in high-impact and future-facing roles, we are creating a multiplier effect where one job can create ten more.”
The YES initiative combines work experience with digital development, mentorship and targeted financial support, with the intent to eliminate obstacles to employment and prepare the graduates for longer-term careers. Since it was founded in 2018, YES has created more than 233 267 12-month full-time work opportunities for South African youths. Of YES alumni, across all its programmes, 47% have secured jobs and 17% have engaged in entrepreneurship activities.
