PODCAST | How SA's BBBEE codes serve the youth

Quarterly data released by Stats SA in May 2023 showed that the total number of unemployed South African youth stands at 4.9-million, which is 46.5% in comparison to the country’s overall official unemployment rate of 32.9%. 

Delving deeper into the data reveals that “youth aged 15-24 years and 25-34 years recorded the highest unemployment rates of 62.1% and 40.7% respectively”. Furthermore, about 3.7-million (36.1%) out of 10.2-million young people aged 15-24 years were not in employment, education or training.

Given this, are the BBBEE codes — intended to ensure all South Africans are actively and deliberately included in the economy — doing enough to incorporate the youth as targeted beneficiaries? 

This is the topic for discussion in the third episode of the Sanlam Transformation Gauge podcast series, hosted by Andile Khumalo and featuring Ray-ann Sedres, Sanlam's chief transformation officer, and Ravi Naidoo, CEO of Yes4Youth.

Listen to the podcast now:

About the Sanlam Transformation Gauge podcast series

This informative four-part podcast aims to unpack key insights from the 2023 Sanlam Transformation Gauge report, researched by Krutham (formerly known as Intellidex) and published in partnership with Sunday Times Business Times.

Now in its third edition, it is the only consolidated, sector-focused research report that takes a holistic measurement of economic transformation in SA, accounting for all elements of BBBEE. 

It aims to highlight what is working, what is not working, and how we can drive innovative solutions to reinvigorate our collective efforts to include all South Africans in our economy.

Click here to download the full 2023 Sanlam Transformation Gauge report.

Click here to watch a recording of the 2023 Sanlam Transformation Gauge conference.

This article was sponsored by Sanlam.