South Africa’s unemployment crisis is running rampant, after yet another consecutive quarter of increasing jobless. In fact, according to the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), South Africa has produced 1 000 jobless people every single day for the last 17 years.
According to the CDE’s latest report, South Africa’s unemployment crisis is worsening exponentially. From 3.7-million jobless in 1994 to 12.6 million in 2025. An average of 500 000 jobseekers enter the market each year, but only 130 000 new jobs are created annually. Essentially, for every person who gets a job, there are four who do not.
SOUTH AFRICA’S UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS
Nevertheless, economist Dawie Roodt has an unlikely fix to South Africa’s unemployment crisis. According to Daily Investor, South Africa should consider closing half of its universities and replacing them instead with technical colleges that focus on critical skills development.
Plus, the universities that stay open, should only focus on degrees that remain relevant – like medicine, accounting, economics and the sciences. Moreover, Roodt argues a large number of courses and degrees offered are irrelevant to a modern economy. And this is only adding to South Africa’s unemployment crisis.
WASTE OF RESOURCES
“Unfortunately, there are plenty of degrees offered at universities that there simply isn’t demand for. Such as political science. Therefore, significant resources are being spent at universities to teach degrees that have little relevance to a modern economy,” argues Roodt.
Furthermore, Roodt believes it is untrue to believe that everyone must have a university degree to secure a job. “Only 10% of the population should attend university. And it’s crucial that these institutions produce high-quality graduates. There are many pointless degrees offered that people only take because they want a piece of paper, regardless of what it has taught them,” Roodt said.
NEW LEAF FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS
Roodt asserts that South Africa could shut half of its universities, with zero impact felt on the economy. South Africa currently has 26 state-owned institutions – 19 public universities and 7 technical universities. Many of these institutions are poorly managed and overrun with maladministration.
And yet, government spends ever-more money on education each year. R332 billion on basic education and R55 billion on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). But ignores skills like building, plumbing, woodwork and electronics that could help alleviate South Africa’s unemployment crisis.
What do you think? Should government consider revamping its public universities to skills-based pursuits? Let us know in the comments section below …
