Jobless young South Africans often lose hope: new study proves the power of mentorship

By Lauren Graham, Professor at the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, University of Johannesburg
Ariane De Lannoy, Senior Researcher: Poverty and Inequality Initiative, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town

More than a third of young South Africans are not in employment, education or training. This cohort of 3.4 million (37.1% of those aged 15–24) risks long-term joblessness. Discouragement – giving up looking for work – is also a risk, as the latest data show.

This has serious social and economic implications. Social and economic exclusion can lead to declining mental health, social drift, long-term dependence on grants and lost economic potential.

To help break this cycle,…

Read complete article

~	Understanding the ‘Slopocene’: how the failures of AI can reveal its inner workings

~	Sexy K-pop demons, a human lie detector and shearers on strike: what to watch in July

~	‘My greatest handicap was the attitude of normal people.’ Alan Marshall’s artful polio memoir, I Can Jump Puddles, turns 70

~	We have drugs to manage HIV. So why are we spending millions looking for cures?

~	Trump’s worldview is causing a global shift of alliances – what does this mean for nations in the middle?

~	The rising rate of type 2 diabetes in young New Zealanders is becoming a health crisis

~	Budapest Pride 2025: A Record Crowd Stands Up for Democracy

~	Report reveals significant rise in civilian casualties and rights violations in Ukraine

~	Who’s the most American? Psychological studies show that many people are biased and think it’s a white English speaker

~	‘Completely unexpected’: Antarctic sea ice may be in terminal decline due to rising Southern Ocean salinity