A degree and deep desire to work isn’t always enough in SA
Eight years after graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand with a law degree, Karabelo is still hopeful of landing a job, although his prospects are not particularly bright. Now back home in KwaNdebele, not far from Pretoria, he cannot afford to access the internet and so buys the newspaper, which he scours for the ad that might change his life. "The challenge of being unemployed is that you are a cohort of the forgotten," says Karabelo, barely hiding his desperation. "I resorted to furthering my studies but the outlook has not changed, even after that. It is work experience that I need." The 28-year-old is caught up in a classic Catch-22 scenario faced by many educated young people: he cannot find work because he has no experience and he cannot get experience without a job. Karabelo is now back in the village where he grew up, far from the bustle of Gauteng which, as SA’s economic hub, presents him with better chances of finding work. SA’s unemployment rate stands at 26....
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