With more than 200,000 youth placed in meaningful roles, YES continues to open pathways to employment and entrepreneurship across South Africa.
South Africa (11 December 2025) – The Youth Employment Service (YES) has hit a major milestone! More than 200,000 young people have now stepped into real work experience through the programme. And while the number alone is huge, what it represents is even bigger as thousands of young South Africans finally getting the chance to step into the economy with confidence, skills and a sense of direction.
Over the past few years, YES has grown rapidly and supported by more than 1,900 businesses investing in young talent. This momentum has unlocked over R12.5 billion in youth salaries, giving young people the opportunity not only to support their households but also to start building their futures. YES CEO Ravi Naidoo says it represents more than just 200 jobs.
“YES has become a critical catalyst in growing employment and promoting sustainable transformation in South Africa. This milestone represents not just 200,000 jobs, but 200,000 young people who now have quality work experience that makes them seven times more likely to transition into permanent employment.”
One of the most heartening parts of the programme is how deeply it reaches young people who genuinely need the opportunity. Around 74% of YES youth come from households that rely on social grants, and the programme has helped approximately 44,000 families rise above the poverty line.
YES does not just prepare young people for jobs, many end up creating their own. More than 28,000 alumni have gone on to start their own businesses, turning their experience into real ventures that uplift others and 17% of participants becoming entrepreneurs
Preparing youth for the future of work.
A big part of YES’s impact lies in its focus on future skills. Through partnerships young people are stepping into exciting fields like digital transformation, tech support, green innovation and tourism.
With five years of continuous growth behind it, YES is gearing up for even greater impact.
For Ravi, the heart of the programme is to unlock potential.
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“Every month, 3,000 to 4,000 additional YES alumni go on in their careers as valuable employees or entrepreneurs, helping to build the economy from the ground up.”
“The key to future competitiveness in South Africa lies in mobilising the energy and ingenuity of our youth.”
In the end, YES’s biggest achievement is the thousands of young people who have found their confidence, discovered their strengths and stepped into a future they can shape for themselves.
Sources: Supplied
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