Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

National Jobs Summit

latest news & developments
Analyses of racialised disparities in both labour and product markets illustrate the need for strengthened economic redress. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G
COUNTRY

SA unemployment soars to 11-year high

The unemployment rate increased to 29,1% in the third quarter of 2019

  • Thando Maeko
2 min read
The DA’s six-point plan would make a big difference in unleashing small businesses, helping them to flourish, grow and employ more South Africans. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
ANC

There is a plan for a job in every home

The Western Cape is a successful seeding ground for the DA’s approach to grow small businesses

  • Geordin Hill-Lewis
4 min read
South Africa’s Gini coefficient — a measure of income inequality — indicates that the country is more unequal today than it wa?s in 1994. (David Harrison/M&G)
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

South Africa is set on fixing its economy. But will poor people benefit?

Initiatives to boost South Africa’s economy could reinforce structural weaknesses without addressing the high levels of inequality

  • Danny Bradlow
5 min read
A number of roadside jobseekers have not had any formal employment for many years and often retreat back to their villages when jobs are not forthcoming. (David Harrison/M&G)
ECONOMY

Formulate workable solutions to create and protect jobs

Laws must bring an end to workers’ exploitation

  • Eddie Rakabe
6 min read
‘If we are going to follow [all] the rules of EIA and zoning, a lot of private-sector investment cannot happen’ (Peter Mogaki/Sowetan/Gallo)
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

Nafcoc angry at being ignored on small business input

Lawrence Mavundla has criticised the small business proposals in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s jobs summit framework

  • Dineo Bendile
5 min read
(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Job summit glosses over skills problem

South Africa, amid fast-changing technology, is producing skilled people, but not enough of them

  • Jacques Coetzee
4 min read
While private businesses did not commit to halting retrenchments, it did agree to a new process before announcing their decision. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
COSATU

Labour regroups after damp-squib jobs summit

The presidential jobs summit failed to yield a moratorium from big business on job cuts, sending labour back to the drawing board

  • Govan Whittles
2 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an “extraordinary coronavirus budget” on Tuesday. (Reuters)
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

Ramaphosa: Jobs Summit critics must eat their words

Ideas to tackle unemployment have been found and all that is left implementation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said

  • Tebogo Tshwane
3 min read
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies. (David Harrison/M&G)
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

Davies: Stronger consequences for government institutions who don’t buy local

The minister said local procurement was a valuable tool to tackle unemployment

  • Tebogo Tshwane
3 min read
“The most direct way for South Africans and South African companies to create jobs is to buy only South African products,” says Cyril Ramaphosa (GCIS)
BUSA

Ramaphosa’s Jobs Summit plan to create 275 000 new jobs annually

Unless the country did something ‘extraordinary’, Ramaphosa notes that South Africa will not be able to reduce the unemployment rate to 6% by 2030

  • Tebogo Tshwane
5 min read
According to a government statement, the Jobs Summit will focus on “collaborative and high-impact interventions to drive job creation, job retention and economic growth”. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
COSATU

Cosatu warns jobs summit could be ‘damp squib’

The National Jobs Summit, on Thursday and Friday in Midrand, is being touted by President Ramaphosa as an avenue to address the rising jobless rate

  • Tehillah Nieselow
3 min read