70 organizations representing civil society and academia are calling for the extension of the Presidential Employment Stimulus. The funding is set to end in March 2024. The Stimulus is at risk of not being renewed, with the final decision will be announced during the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement next month.

Evidence shows the national impact of the programme in only three years of implementation- in a short time frame, PES has become South Africa’s ace up its sleeve to building a society that works. It will take decades to solve youth unemployment; but losing the PES would mean reverting back to small-scale impact, instead of population-level impact. 

Guest: Kristal Duncan - Project Lead at Youth Capital

Guest: Prof. Lauren Graham - Development Sociologist and Director of the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg