Press Release: Presidency and Jobs Boost showcase progress in tackling youth unemployment
POSTED ON: September 25, 2025 IN Newsby Woodman Maphalala
Johannesburg, South Africa – The Presidency has released the first quarter results of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) and the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, reaffirming government’s commitment to addressing South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis. The results were presented at a media briefing hosted at BluLever Education in Braamfontein and facilitated by Jobs Boost, demonstrating progress at a time when more than one in three young South Africans are not in employment, education or training.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Ms Nonceba Mhlauli, delivered the keynote address, emphasising the need to scale what works.
“By incentivising quality training and real job placement, Jobs Boost is changing the way employers, training providers and funders think about youth employment and youth empowerment,” she added.
The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, funded by the NSF, designed and managed by Krutham as part of the PYEI, was recognised in the briefing as a growing flagship intervention. By the end of June, over 8,100 young people had been enrolled in training programmes and more than 5,400 placed in quality jobs, with R150m disbursed to 12 implementing partners for verified outcomes.
“The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, South Africa’s largest formal sector employment outcomes fund, is already showing that outcomes-based approaches can deliver measurable, sustained impact. The model is unlocking jobs, transforming the skills ecosystem and proving that innovation in public employment works,” said Tshego Walker, Director of the PYEI.
The Deputy Minister concluded by encouraging employers, training providers and civil society organisations to register opportunities on SAYouth.mobi to expand the reach of the PYEI and ensure that no young person is left behind.
About Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund
Jobs Boost is a R300m pay-for-performance model being piloted in South Africa. It is an outcomes fund that works with implementing partners to secure sustainable, quality jobs for unemployed, excluded youth.
Jobs Boost was initiated by the Presidency, DHET and the National Skills Fund (NSF) as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI). Krutham was appointed to support the design and the management of the pilot programme. Funding for the design of the programme was provided by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund is a project of a non-profit company, Employment Outcomes NPC, which Krutham established to administer the fund. For the pilot, the NSF, a part of the Department of Higher Education and Training, will act as the sole outcomes funder.
About Krutham
Krutham is a leading financial and policy advisory firm committed to driving positive impact in emerging markets. With a deep understanding of financial and capital markets, combined with a keen sense of social impact and politics, Krutham is dedicated to shaping industries and contributing to a better future. Straddling the spectrum of capital, Krutham works with diverse clients to deliver beyond the obvious and create financial systems that serve as a force for good. Krutham believes that financial systems are a force for good, and our role is to help maximise that good.
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