Call to Engage Young People in Critical Infrastructure Projects

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has emphasized the importance of including young people in all stages of critical infrastructure projects. Speaking at the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) event, Chikunga called for the upskilling, reskilling, and placement of youth through industrialist apprenticeships as a central part of project planning and implementation.

Chikunga highlighted the pressing need to incorporate unemployed graduates into the workforce, particularly in large-scale projects such as harbour development, rail, road, rural bridge construction, human settlements, water sanitation, and energy. She argued that importing labor for these projects is unacceptable when skilled young South Africans are unemployed.

She called for sustainable interventions that address youth unemployment and economic challenges. Chikunga advocated for an emerging industrialist program that operates at all levels of government—national, provincial, and local—using the District Development Model (DDM) to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach.

The Minister also called for a transformation of the NYDA into a more dynamic and responsive organization. She urged the NYDA to develop robust research capabilities to guide strategic decisions and identify emerging opportunities and risks. Additionally, she stressed the importance of creating an emerging industrialist fund to support youth innovation and entrepreneurship, ensuring that women and youth have access to land and resources for agricultural and industrial activities.

Chikunga also emphasized the importance of leveraging public procurement to support youth and women-owned businesses, thereby fostering a more inclusive and dynamic economy.

Her address underscores the need for a more integrated and forward-thinking approach to youth employment and industrial development in South Africa.