Keynote address by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile on the occasion of the inaugural  National Youth Development Agency Youth Investment Indaba 2025, Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg

Programme Director;
Deputy Minister of DWYPD, Honourable Steve Letsike;
Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile;
MMC For Housing in Johannesburg, Mlungisi Mabaso;
NYDA Executive Deputy Chairperson, Bonga Makhanya;
NYDA Board Members, represented by Ms Thembisile Mahuwa;
Leadership across our various public institutions, NYDA, Brand SA, NEF, DBSA, and IDC;
Officials and Leadership in The Presidency ;
The SAYEC President, Thabo Kanakana, and Political Youth Formations here present;
President of the ANCYL;
Ladies and gentlemen;
The youth and future of our country;
The newly crowned Ms South Africa, Qhawekazi Mazaleni, and Ms Luyanda Zuma;

Good morning,

Let me begin by thanking the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) team for creating such an incredible and vibrant platform. I also appreciate being considered to be part of this Youth Investment Indaba, which is a transformative moment aimed at impacting the lives of young people.

I truly appreciate this moment because it affords me an opportunity to engage with you, listen to your thoughts, and understand your needs as young people. You all represent the future of our land, both as today's leaders and tomorrow's. I have consistently expressed these sentiments, that: as leaders, we cannot talk or formulate policies regarding young people without young people.

Young people deserve a seat at the table to ensure that the issues of the youth are not just heard but are adequately addressed. The youth voice, inside workplaces, in civic engagements, and in the public and private sectors, needs to be elevated by policies, programmes, and interventions that are impactful.

The subtheme "forging a national compact" is pertinent to our efforts to establish an inclusive society with youth development at its centre.

Forging a national compact should be a deliberate and collaborative process that is intended to unite various sectors of our society. We should all work towards shared objectives, particularly to address significant social, political, or economic challenges that our nation is currently facing.

This Indaba must then provide a definitive course of action to address our challenges. We should develop practical solutions to the challenges that young people face, such as high unemployment, unequal educational access, and high rates of substance abuse and criminal activity.

We should equally be concerned about school violence, the technological access disparity, and the skills mismatch between education and employment.

We must acknowledge that the crisis of youth unemployment is severe, particularly among young people, not in Employment, Education, or Training – the NEET cohort. According to Statistics South Africa’s first-quarter release of 2025, 34% of all youth aged 15–24 – more than 3.5 million young people – are disconnected from both the labour market and the education system. 

This means that a substantial cohort of young South Africans is estranged from the education and job sectors, confronting hazards such as social isolation and poverty. Among other things, these statistics should prompt us to reconsider our role in mobilising various stakeholders and social partners to develop skills that meet the needs of the South African economy.

Government and the private sector must adopt a proactive stance and address the disparity between labour supply and demand. We must create a labour market that will effectively create employment opportunities for young people, including those with no skills.

The Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) can play a crucial role in addressing this crisis by improving workforce skills, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth. This is an entrenched challenge that directly calls for innovation and leadership.

As the HRDC, we made it our goal to mitigate poverty, inequality, and unemployment by facilitating platforms for social partners to address the nation’s skills and human capital development, thereby addressing impediments in the value chain of human resource development.

We assert that equipping the youth with entrepreneurial skills is essential for societal success, particularly considering our efforts to amend post-apartheid legislation that excluded the majority from economic participation.

The future of the youth of South Africa is in our hands, and together we must be radical in securing it!

Ladies and gentlemen,

In 2024, I launched the SANDF-led national youth service programme, which was conceptualised by the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities in partnership with the Department of Defence. The objective of this initiative is to enable women, youth, and people with disabilities to become emerging industrialists in sectors such as agriculture, energy security, aerospace, maritime, the digital economy, and defence.

Equally so, as we launch a National Youth Fund, which is a national compact, we should inspire young people to start their enterprises. We must encourage private companies to invest in township and rural regions to establish hubs to create employment, boost local economies, and unleash young potential nationwide.

I must underline that economic development requires young people, especially those unemployed, in education or in training, to explore entrepreneurship as a means of self-reliance and employment.

This is also in line with our National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030. The NDP prioritises entrepreneurship and small enterprises as essential factors in job creation and economic development.

We must therefore work together to alter the mindset of young individuals by highlighting the opportunities that are available for those who choose to pursue entrepreneurship.

In this regard, the Government provides a variety of programmes to assist young entrepreneurs, such as financial assistance, business development services, and skills training. Key initiatives include the Youth Challenge Fund and the Grant Programme of the NYDA. This is also supported by the Innovation Fund, which ensures increased access to funding.

Furthermore, we launched the Transformation Fund worth R20 billion per year over the next five years. The Transformation Fund must not be far away from the NYDA and the youth in general. The fund seeks to increase participation of Black-owned businesses, focusing on enterprise and Supplier Development and Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes.

We further encourage youth participation in the digital economy through initiatives such as the Digital Economy Masterplan and the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy.

Through programmes such as the National Youth Fund, the objective is to integrate youth startups into the economy, fostering a new generation of skilled entrepreneurs and industrialists engaged in key sectors.

I commend the leadership of the NYDA for capitalising the National Youth Fund as mandated by the amendments to the NYDA Act.

The Fund's vision to empower a new generation of entrepreneurs by overcoming barriers to finance, skills, and market access is commendable. It will address decades of structural youth unemployment and historical economic debt that weigh heavily on the shoulders of young people.

I must emphasise that the youth are not just beneficiaries of social programmes; they are the nation’s most potent economic asset. Therefore, I am committing to advocating for and securing maximum government support for the National Youth Fund under the new Board strategy.

This means mobilising capital through DFIs and leveraging departmental budgets, including procurement spending to ensure the fund is fully resourced and able to deliver on its mandate.

Speaking of procurement, it has been more than a year since the Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 (Act) was passed by Parliament. The legislation aims to reform Government spending and connect young entrepreneurs to local value chains by prioritising localisation, enterprise development, and inclusive procurement, enabling them to become suppliers, service providers, and solution builders in the economy.

We support the implementation of this act, as we will continue to do so with the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws.

As I have stated when I appeared in the NCOP in September 2025, we supported the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) because it has proven effective, with more Black-owned companies operating successfully in mining and other sectors.

South Africa and its youth need transformative policies!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Transformation laws must be implemented and cannot be changed because some disagree. Our transformative policies remain central to our economic transformation agenda and form part of South Africa’s long-term strategy to redress historic injustices, broaden economic participation, and build a truly inclusive economy.

The National Investment Compact adds to the vision of these transformative policies. Centred on the National Development Plan, aimed at eliminating poverty and reducing inequality by creating a more inclusive and prosperous society, these policies are instrumental in supporting young people.

I remain resolute about building a non-racial, non-sexist, and prosperous society. This is the vision I will uphold until it is we succeed, and I believe that transformative policies are important to achieving it.

Moreover, the government is committed to expanding youth access to land. We want to see young people leading in agriculture, agro-processing, and rural enterprise. I am excited to hear of the NYDA’s Rapid Land Release Programme which complements this effort by being a purchaser of land holdings and making land accessible to young people.

Working in close partnership with the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture, which I chair, we can unlock practical opportunities and ensure that young people have both the land and the support they need to build viable, commercial enterprises, nurturing the next generation of farmers, agro-processors, and rural industrialists.

Undeniably, young people have ideas, ambition, and orders, yet face simple cash-flow challenges that prevent them from delivering. Today we must recommit to addressing this low-hanging fruit to ensure the success of youth enterprises.

We need to implement policy support and access to capital and markets for their goods and services. Legislation and regulation must not be a burden but rather an enabler. When crafted and implemented with purpose, they provide powerful frameworks that ensure fairness, protection, and opportunity for growth.

Compatriots, 

Our goal trough the G20 Presidency is to enhance the G20's mission, which focuses on fostering strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth. Through our theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, we seek to address a wide range of global challenges.

Solidarity fosters an inclusive future centred around people, allowing societies to reflect shared humanity. Promoting equality ensures fair treatment and opportunities for all individuals and nations, regardless of economic status, gender, race, or geographic location. Sustainability aims to meet present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs, ensuring a world where one nation's challenges impact all.

We applaud the NYDA for its involvement in the Y20 where you made it clear that young people are a catalyst for sustainable development because they offer new ideas, vibrant energy, and a strong desire to impact change via activism and entrepreneurship. We urge you to continue to be the voice of young people as we use our G20 Presidency to champion the use of critical minerals as an engine for growth and development in Africa.

As I conclude, we stand at a crossroads where collaboration and unity are not just ideals but necessities. The challenges we face are immense, but the potential for positive change is even greater.

I have hope that over the next three years, you will be able to raise and deploy much-needed funds into youth-owned SMMEs.

May this Indaba serve as a driving force for action, a platform for collaboration, and a guiding light for a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous South Africa.

I thank you.