How long have you ever gone without steady employment, and what helped you keep going through that time?
By Zuko Komisa

The job market has taken another hit.
Official figures for the second quarter show South Africa’s unemployment rate climbing to 33.6% a 0.9 percentage point increase from Q1.
The math is as stark as it is simple: more people are searching for work, but fewer positions exist.
Over the three-month period, the number of unemployed individuals rose by 345,000 to reach 8.5 million, while total employment dropped by 16,000 down to 16.7 million.
When you factor in discouraged jobseekers who have given up actively looking, the expanded unemployment rate stands at a staggering 43.8%.
Behind these heavy statistics are real people navigating tough financial and emotional realities every day. Joblessness can stretch from weeks into months or even years, forcing individuals to get creative just to survive.
Drive 959 had a conversation about these shocking stats and discussed: How long have you ever gone without steady employment, and what helped you keep going through that time?
Listen to the full conversation here:
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