David Lekomanyane is the first in his family to go to university and much is expected of him. The family could not have been prouder of the 26-year-old when he completed his Bachelor of Technology in mining engineering at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in 2015. It was supposed to be the beginning of a better life‚ but in reality it heralded a new struggle for the Ermelo resident. Lekomanyane has been unemployed for almost two years and a lack of experience seems to be his downfall‚ according to feedback from employers. He says most companies require a minimum of three years’ work experience. He has moved back to his hometown to try and work around this stumbling block. "I’ve moved back to Mpumalanga to volunteer in one of the local mines‚ so I can gain the required work experience. It’s not easy telling my family that I will be a volunteer because they thought I would easily get a decent job after completing my studies." Lekomanyane’s family survives on his grandparents’ pensio...
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