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Unemployment soars in South Africa under Government of National Unity

Mapaballo Borotho

Unemployment in SA
Image @iStock

South Africa’s unemployment rate has risen from 42.6% to 43.1% over the past year, since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) last year. This was revealed by ActionSA on Tuesday, 17 June 2025.

The GNU, comprising various political parties including the ANC, DA, IFP, FF Plus, and Rise Mzansi, was established after the ANC lost majority control in the May 2024 elections.

According to recent employment figures, approximately 300,000 people lost their jobs in the first quarter of 2025. The country’s economy grew by a mere 0.1% during the same period, a growth rate that opposition parties and unions describe as stagnant.

ActionSA, an opposition party not part of the GNU, has criticised the government’s performance, stating that the reality for many South Africans is one of neglect.

“There are now 8.23 million unemployed South Africans, with a further 3.5 million so discouraged that they’ve given up even trying to find work,” the party noted.

The opposition party says that parties within the GNU have never prioritised South Africans. 

“Parties in the GNU spend more time taking each other to court than sitting down to craft meaningful reforms. One year since its formation, not a single new economic policy has been introduced. And because there have been no bold economic reforms, South Africa remains uncompetitive as a country to invest or do business in.

“Rising food prices hit the poorest households the hardest. ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker tracks annual inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages to gauge whether government policies are protecting the livelihoods of all South Africans. In line with the South African Reserve Bank’s call to lower the national inflation target toward 3%, we believe food inflation should also be brought below this threshold”.

ActionSA further revealed that young South Africans are the most forgotten and neglected by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s GNU. 

“They have increased the fuel levy, making everything more expensive for everyone, the illicit economy is allowed to thrive, shutting out legitimate and law-abiding businesses, and the youth have been neglected entirely”.

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