Mapaballo Borotho
- South Africa’s unemployment rate increased to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025.
- Sizwe Dhlomo criticised the R370 grant, suggesting that the government should at least create more jobs instead of just giving out money.
- The Breakfast team called on the government to create more practical solutions to tackle the unemployment crisis in South Africa.
Sizwe Dhlomo and his team kicked off Monday morning’s show with a hard-hitting discussion on South Africa’s ongoing unemployment crisis — a national issue that not only affects the youth but society at large.
The conversation was sparked by recent statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS), which revealed that nearly a million applications were received for SAPS trainee positions, yet only 5,500 posts could be filled.
This is a stark reflection of just how dire the job market has become.
During the discussion, the team touched on how the desperation for jobs has made many young people vulnerable to scammers and exploitation.
Mpho Maboi weighed in, saying:
We always talk about how more people need to open businesses to sustain themselves, but even with that, there’s so much red tape. More often than not, for your business to thrive, you have to do business with the government.
Sizwe challenged this logic, saying the narrative that everyone should start a business is flawed.
Not everyone is an entrepreneur. Starting a business requires capital, and not everyone has money lying around,” he said.
Instead of the government giving unemployed people R370 every month, they should be given money to start something, or better yet, create jobs. For example, let them cut grass at government buildings and get paid for it. Why should they receive money just because they’re unemployed citizens?
He also highlighted inequality as a key concern, warning:
If we leave things as they are, the rich will keep getting richer and the poor will keep getting poorer.
Sol Phenduka added another layer to the debate, pointing out that:
People don’t open businesses to contribute to the economy — they do it to enrich themselves.
According to Stats SA, the country’s unemployment rate climbed to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025.
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast
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