Driven by Purpose: Our Commitment to Inclusion
The National Business Initiative’s (NBI) Economic Inclusion Unit designs and implements programmes that support the accelerated transition of South African youth, particular women, into income earning opportunities which include stable employment, self-employment and enterprise incubation. To unlock these opportunities the NBI is working with various strategic partners, including member companies and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), to design and implement scalable solutions for demand-led skilling as well as support for existing township-based Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that have the potential to grow and create jobs. This work is delivered through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in targeted areas across the country.
To enable scale and sustainability, the NBI builds the capacity of public TVET colleges so they can respond to evolving demand for skills in local economies and create condition for entrepreneurial growth and success. In addition, the NBI is working with strategic partners and stakeholders to develop and strengthen the local economic ecosystems within which these opportunities can be unlocked for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and market access for MSMEs.
Our impact is felt through the unlocking of opportunities in both the formal and informal sectors by, amongst others, leveraging the transition towards skilling and market opportunities green economy.
Through flagship initiatives like the Installation, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM) initiative and the Just Energy Transition Skilling for Employment Programme (JET SEP), we play a pivotal role in building an inclusive economy and improving the livelihoods of thousands of young South Africans.
This work is not done in isolation; it directly supports and amplifies national priorities, including:
Guided by a commitment to inclusive growth and sustainable employment creation, our strategy focuses on building responsive skills ecosystems that connect people, enterprises, and opportunities within the evolving economy:
The Context: Navigating a Challenging Labour Market:
While our initiatives strive for progress, the South African economy continues to face significant headwinds. Persistent structural barriers have maintained high levels of unemployment, with a disproportionate impact on youth and women.
According to the Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q4: 2025, the following data highlights the scale of the challenge we are addressing:
Official Unemployment:
The national unemployment rate eased slightly to 31.4% in Q4 2025.
Gender Disparity:
Unemployment among women remains higher than the national average at 33.6%, compared to 29.5% for men.
Sectoral Breakdown:
The formal sector accounts for 71.9% of total employment, emphasizing the importance of our work in bridging the gap between informal potential and formal market requirements.
Population Group Impact:
The unemployment rate among Black Africans remains the highest at 35.3%, significantly above the national average and other population groups.
The NEET Challenge:
Approximately 3.4 million young people aged 15–24 (roughly 33% of that age cohort) are Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET). More broadly, there are close to 9-million young people sitting out of the economy and having no access to meaningful post-school education and training (PSET) opportunities.
Graduate Unemployment:
The unemployment rate for graduates was recorded at 10.2%, reflecting the difficulty even skilled youth face when entering the market. However, tertiary education continues to serve as the strongest buffer against unemployment and graduate unemployment continues to hover at around one-third of the national average.
Youth Vulnerability:
Young people remain the most vulnerable group. The unemployment rate for those aged 15–24 sits at 57%, while the rate for the 25–34 age group is approximately 43.8%.
In the context of persistent unemployment challenges, lack of access to meaningful post-school learning pathways for vulnerable youth increases the likelihood of long-term unemployment. In response to South Africa’s these challenges and the evolving demand for technical skills across the economy, our work focuses on strengthening inclusive economic participation through practical, responsive skilling and entrepreneurial interventions. This includes expanding the pool of skilled Installation, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) practitioners to support the sustainable repair and upkeep of infrastructure, equipment, and essential services to improve service delivery outcomes.
Our work also leverages opportunities across maintenance, repair, and related value chains to create large-scale skilling and work-integrated learning pathways for young people. At the same time, local MSMEs are supported through enterprise development, upskilling, mentorship, and market access support to strengthen their participation in the economy.
Building on this approach, our work is implemented through a combination of targeted interventions and enabling ecosystem drivers that strengthen pathways to inclusive employment and economic participation.
As the risks associated with climate change increase in prominence in South Africa’s journey to a low carbon society, the pressure to achieve a Just Transition has intensified. The IRM Initiative places a strong emphasis on sustainability, new market access, and the preparation of the workforce and MSMEs to access opportunities that emerge in the green economy.
The launch of the Just Energy Transition (JET) Implementation Plan in 2023 has prompted the Economic Inclusion team to even more closely align the IRM work to the realization of a JET. Through the JET Skilling for Employment Programme (JETSEP) platform, the IRM initiative is delivering key strategic interventions in the areas of sustainable Infrastructure Maintenance, Energy Efficiency, E-waste and Renewable Energy.