Youth unemployment has long been a crisis in SA, but Covid-19 has pushed the country into uncharted waters. The pandemic and the resulting national lockdown have caused a recession unlike anything SA has seen in generations — if ever.

Not only is the economy expected to contract by 7.2% in 2020 — the largest in at least 90 years — but uncertainty around the timing and magnitude of recovery has sent seismic shocks into the labour market, especially for young adults...