Youth advocacy group Youth Capital has urged Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to present a national budget that includes clear and adequately funded measures to address youth unemployment, warning that symbolic commitments are no longer sufficient.
Godongwana is expected to table the 2026 national budget in the National Assembly of South Africa in Cape Town at 2pm on Wednesday.
The organisation is calling for time-bound employment targets to be embedded within the fiscal framework, along with sustained multi-year funding for public employment programmes. It also wants dedicated allocations for young people within infrastructure and green economy spending.
Project lead Buhlebethu Magwaza said while government has acknowledged youth unemployment as a national crisis, the real test is whether that recognition is backed by meaningful financial commitments.
She said funding must increase year-on-year and reflect the scale of the challenge, with nearly 10 million young people currently not in education, employment or training. Magwaza added that predictable, long-term allocations are needed instead of short-term extensions or stagnant budgets that fail to keep pace with demand.
Youth Capital maintains that its expectations are based on what the numbers in the budget ultimately show, rather than promises alone. While acknowledging ongoing fiscal pressures, the group stressed that spending choices reflect priorities and that addressing youth unemployment should rank at the top of the list.