Press Releases

Press Releases

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 17 JUNE 2025

 

Creating work and opportunities for young people

Dear Fellow South African,

Yesterday we observed Youth Day in tribute to the generations of young people who continue to inspire our ongoing pursuit for social justice, equality and opportunity for all.

If we are to live up to the democratic promise for which so many sacrificed and gave their lives, we have to ensure that we invest in today’s generation of young people and unleash their potential.

Like many parts of the world, our country is grappling with high youth unemployment. To overcome this challenge we need an approach that includes investing in education and skills development, fostering youth entrepreneurship and implementing targeted employment programmes focusing on young people.

As part of this work, Government established the Presidential Employment Stimulus and the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention. These initiatives are providing opportunities to hundreds of thousands of young people at a time when not enough jobs are being created to absorb new entrants into the labour market.

Since it began in 2020, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has provided more than two million jobs and livelihood opportunities. Of the participants in the programme to date, 72% are young people and 66% are women.

A vital part of our efforts to empower young people is the SAYouth.mobi platform, which is a single point for unemployed young South Africans to access opportunities for work, training and learning.

There are now over 4.7 million young people registered on the SAYouth platform and the Department of Employment and Labour’s employment services database. Through these platforms, young people have been supported to access over 1.6 million earning opportunities.

Last week in the City of Tshwane, I met with a number of young people who told me excitedly they had been approached by potential employers who had seen their profiles on SA Youth.mobi.

I want to encourage young job-seekers to utilise this trusted recruitment platform – at https://sayouth.mobi/

Registration is free and the app is zero rated, meaning you can access the site and its contents without incurring any data charges.

We have focused on providing workplace experience and on the job training. Young people have often expressed frustration around the onerous experience requirements from employers that effectively serve as a barrier to entry for them.

In 2019, we abolished the work experience requirement for entry level jobs in the public sector. Through the Youth Employment Service, a collaboration with the private sector, tens of thousands of young people have been placed in workplace experience opportunities in a range of economic sectors.

The extent and scale of the youth unemployment crisis means that we should not focus solely on placing more young people in formal, existing jobs, but that we must bolster skills development and foster an entrepreneurial culture.

It is critical that we overcome the mismatch between the skills available in the workforce and market need.

This is why we are investing in vocational training. We have increased funding to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and subsidies for the operationalisation of new campuses. Each year, we are placing thousands of learners and graduates into workplace experience opportunities.

Entrepreneurship is a key economic growth driver, but rates of entrepreneurial activity in South Africa are relatively low compared to other countries. We are working to foster an enabling environment that allows more young people to become self-employed.

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention has been working with the National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development to financial and non-financial support to young people for their businesses.

Through all of these initiatives, the state has supported millions of young South Africans with work opportunities, work experience and skills development. However, we can only vastly scale up the employment of young people with greater private sector involvement.

I call on business and other public sector entities to use SAYouth.mobi to provide more pathways for young people to earning and learning. The private sector needs to use all available mechanisms, including the Employee Tax Incentive, to hire young people.

South Africa’s young people deserve to lead lives of dignity. Unemployment is robbing far too many youth of this right. As government and business, let us continue to work together and do all within our means to empower young people to find jobs and create their own opportunities.

With best regards,

Signature

 

YOUTH DAY 2025

The commemoration of Youth Month in South Africa, and particularly Youth Day on 16 June, pays tribute to the 1976 Soweto Uprisings. Youth day serves as a reminder of our nation’s young people who boldly protested against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. Their peaceful demonstration was met with brutal force from the authorities of the apartheid regime, resulting in the tragic loss of lives and thousands exiled.

The month of June has, since the dawn of democracy, been dedicated to honouring the contribution of young people in the liberation struggle. During this time, we reflect on the active role of South African youth in numerous political campaigns and protests as a response to the brutal apartheid regime, including its oppressive education system which treated black people as inferior.

The 2025 National Youth Day and Youth Month will be commemorated under the theme: “Skills for the changing world, empowering youth for meaningful economic participation. This theme, supported by the tagline “Gear Up for Greatness” seeks to promote education and skills development for the youth, linking them with economic opportunities. The day will also address various challenges faced by young people in the country while taking stock of the progress made in advancing their empowerment.

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 9 JUNE 2025

Black empowerment is vital to inclusive economic growth

 

Dear Fellow South African,

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter. We are reminded of its aspiration that the people shall share in the country’s wealth.

Our Constitution reflects the promise we made to one another and to future generations to redress the injustices of our past and realise the full potential of our country.

For this reason, we reaffirm that broad-based black economic empowerment is not just a policy choice but a constitutional imperative. 

In recent months, the world has entered what many now term a “poly-crisis” where global conflict, economic stagnation, mistrust in institutions and environmental degradation are challenging even the most resilient of nations.

These are conditions affecting many countries and South Africa is no exception. It is now imperative that we use the lessons that we have learned over the past three decades to make our empowerment policies more meaningful.

Now is not the time to abandon the measures that we have put in place to drive transformation. To the contrary, it is the time to move forward with greater purpose and raise our ambition.

Since 1994 we have built a robust legislative framework to advance the transformation of our economy, anchored in the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act and the Employment Equity Act.

The progress we have made is undeniable. We have seen real changes in ownership patterns, including more businesses owned by women. We have seen changes in management control, enterprise development and skills development. 

According to Statistics SA, between 2006 and 2023, black African households experienced real income growth of 46%, coloured households of 29% and Indian households of 19%. 

Despite this progress, the average income of white households is still nearly five times higher than that of black African households. This is the gulf we must close through deliberate and sustained efforts to expand opportunity.

Transformation is not a favour. It is a necessity. The inequality of our past continues to shape the lives of millions of black South Africans. And yet many who continue to benefit from the legacy of exclusion continue to decry black economic empowerment and are even challenging it in our courts.

We must dispense with the false notion that we must make a choice between growth and transformation. Economic growth without transformation entrenches exclusion, and transformation without growth is unsustainable.

We also need to challenge the notion that broad-based black economic empowerment is a cost to the economy. It is actually an investment in the economy.

Our task is to ensure that we pursue both growth and transformation in concert, with more vigour and with greater effect. 

That is why we continue to strengthen initiatives like the Black Industrialists Programme, which is building successful, competitive, black-owned enterprises in manufacturing and other sectors. 

That is why we are establishing the Transformation Fund to support a new wave of emerging, innovative businesses that can create work opportunities for our people. 

We must open the levers of funding for black-owned businesses. There is a critical need for black-owned businesses to access funding on affordable terms. While much of this funding should come from the development finance institutions, it is the private banks that have the resources to make the greatest impact. They need to review their lending practices to unleash the potential of black business.

Through mechanisms like the Public Procurement Act, we must ensure that businesses owned by women, young people and persons with disabilities enjoy expanding opportunities. We must ensure that transformation reaches into every sector, whether it is mining, construction, energy, IT or agriculture.

The private sector should use their supply chains far more deliberately to empower many more black-owned businesses, not just to improve their BBBEE scorecard, but to grow and diversify their supplier base.

As we develop our infrastructure, grow new industries like green hydrogen and electric vehicles, and drive localisation and reindustrialisation, we will continue to ensure that transformation is our guiding principle.

The transformation we seek is not about ticking boxes. It is about building a resilient, just economy for generations to come.

I call on all South Africans, and in particular the private sector, to recommit to economic transformation.

Let us move forward with greater urgency, unity and ambition, to build a South Africa where all can truly share in the country’s wealth. 

With best regards,
 

Signature

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 2 JUNE 2025

Over 200,000 young people start work in schools today

 

Dear Fellow South African, 

Today marks the ‘first day at school’ for about 200,000 young people at over 20,000 schools nationwide. This time, however, they are not arriving at school as learners, but as working adults. They are participants in the fifth phase of the Basic Education Employment Initiative, the largest youth employment programme in South Africa’s history.

After a year’s pause, the initiative returns to townships, villages, inner cities, farms and special needs schools, bringing hope, energy and incomes to places where opportunities are too often out of reach. 

The initiative is a flagship programme of the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which has, since its inception in 2020, supported the delivery of jobs and livelihood opportunities in our country. The Basic Education Employment Initiative is implemented by the Department of Basic Education and by provincial education departments. It is now funded by the UIF Labour Activation Programme and national government.

This programme is designed to develop the work skills that employers say they need, such as time management, task management, teamwork, problem solving, IT, admin and much more. 

In the process, participants undertake roles aligned to school priorities to ensure these young people add real value, enhancing the learning environment for learners and strengthening learning outcomes. 

The Basic Education Employment Initiative offers opportunities for young people at all skills levels. Graduates are prioritised for work in the classroom, where their tasks allow teachers to spend more time on teaching and lesson preparation. Curriculum Assistants support maths, science and technology. Reading Champions promote literacy and a culture of reading. Lab and Workshop Assistants support technical subjects. Others support IT and school administration. 

They also tackle essential maintenance, such as fixing doors, painting peeling walls, maintaining school vegetable gardens and playgrounds. Care and Support Assistants work with School Support Teams to identify and support children at risk. Still others spark life into sports, art and music, activities that inspire learners, uncover their talents and build pride in communities. Together, these roles provide real work experience to young people and vital support to our education system. 

The best possible advice to the young people starting at schools this week comes from a former participant in the programme. In 2023, Sibongile Joni was a Curriculum Assistant at Emsengeni Primary School in the Eastern Cape. She has since been employed in an NGO called Masinyusane. 

She has this advice for participants now starting in the programme: “Be reliable: your consistency builds trust. Be willing to learn, ask questions, accept feedback and grow daily. Take initiative: if something needs to be done, do it without waiting to be told. Treat every task as important, no matter how small, because excellence in the small things builds your reputation. Always be professional: your attitude, respect and conduct matter. Build strong relationships with staff and learners. People open doors for those they trust and enjoy working with. Lastly, make the most of the trainings offered, they equip you with the skills you’ll need for your next step.”

She says this journey has taught her that growth doesn’t come overnight. She says: “Start strong. Stay consistent. You’re building your future today.” 

Every participant has their own hopes and dreams for their future beyond this programme. Whether they pursue a career in education, undertake further studies, search for a job or embrace self-employment, they won’t be starting from scratch. From this programme, they will carry invaluable skills and experience. Yet, in a tough labour market, they will each need to tackle their next chapter with creativity and initiative. 

As a society, we cannot leave young people to navigate the transition into work alone. Together, we need to step up to assist them. 

These young people will leave the school environment having shown up, contributed and made a difference. They will have worked in high-pressure environments with limited resources and will understand deadlines and responsibility. 

To employers, we say: give them their next opportunity, mentor their enthusiasm, help take their potential to the next level. 

We also need to reach those young people who want to be entrepreneurs. We need to find new ways to support those who want to create their own jobs and local value, to connect them to finance, training, markets and networks. 

Today we celebrate this cohort of young people beginning meaningful work, many for the first time. But let us also not forget those who applied for these posts but who weren’t selected. 

Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, we have demonstrated the government’s capacity to address the youth unemployment problem. Through this programme we have been able to give young people work experience and a pathway to formal employment or even further education. 

We do believe that this will have a much longer term benefit for the employability of young people. This is but one initiative that seeks to address the youth unemployment challenge. We still have much more to do to address the plight of young people. 

These young people are showing us what they are capable of. It is up to all of us in society to give them the opportunities they need to thrive.

With best regards,
 

Signature

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 19 MAY 2025

 

We must honour those who suffered for our freedom 
 

Across the world, countries are having to grapple with their past as they confront the challenges of today. The past that countries deal with is often about atrocities that were committed against sections of their people.
 
Dealing with the memory of past atrocities is one of the most difficult and delicate tasks a nation can undertake. This can be a cathartic process but is vital if a country is committed to enhance national healing, cohesion and unity. The way a country remembers its painful past can shape the character of it democracy, the legitimacy of its institutions and the resilience of its people.
 
As a country, we have had to contend with our past in the interests of social cohesion and nation-building. We have advanced policies of restitution and redress to both acknowledge and correct the historical injustice of apartheid. 
 
We remain equally committed to restoring the dignity of apartheid’s countless victims and to bringing closure to their families. 
 
Over the past weekend we reburied the remains of Adv Duma Nokwe, a hero of the anti-apartheid struggle and former Secretary-General of the African National Congress, who died in exile in Zambia in 1978. 
 
Nokwe was the first black advocate to be admitted to the Johannesburg Bar, and both a defendant and a member of the defence team in the treason trial of 1956. In recognition of his contribution to the legal fraternity, we conferred him the status of senior counsel posthumously.
 
Duma Nokwe was one of 42 former liberation heroes and heroines who passed away in exile whose remains were repatriated from Zambia and Zimbabwe in September last year. We are grateful for the countries that gave our people shelter and support in exile and provided a resting place for those who died before they could return home.
 
Many families in this country lost their loved ones to apartheid brutality and live with these scars. The apartheid regime even pursued activists that had fled the country and their whereabouts remain unknown.  
 
In 1994 we chose a path of national reconciliation. We established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to shed a light on the atrocities committed during apartheid.  
 
Even as democratic South Africa attempted to unearth what happened and to hold those accountable to account, many apartheid-era security officials either refused to appear before the TRC or did not fully disclose their actions. Others resorted to delaying tactics and obstruction to evade trial. 
 
As we recently announced, I am in the process of establishing a judicial commission of inquiry to look into allegations of interference in the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes referred by TRC. 
 
As government we remain steadfast in our commitment to restoring the dignity of activists who died and were buried abroad, and to our country men and women who were subjected to indignities in foreign lands. 
 
This is being done within legal frameworks such as the National Heritage Resources Act. This framework facilitated the repatriation of Sara Baartman’s remains for burial in South Africa in 2002. We have also developed a draft National Policy on the Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects which will guide our efforts going forward. 
 
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and other government institutions continue to engage with several countries to facilitate the return of human remains. 
 
Even today some museums and universities in western Europe have collections that contain human remains of South Africa’s Khoi and San people. In 2012, South Africa facilitated the return of the remains of a Khoi couple dubbed Klaas and Trooi from a museum in Vienna, after they had been illegally exhumed and smuggled abroad more than 100 years earlier.  
 
The American novelist William Faulkner once wrote: “The past is never dead, it’s not even past.”  
 
For the many families and communities across this country who never got the opportunity to lay their loved ones to rest or to even know how they died, the past will continue to cast a long shadow. 
 
In the interests of national reconciliation, in the interests of moving forward, we will continue with our efforts to restore dignity to all those who were denied it in life.  
 
A heavy price was paid by many for the democracy we have today. This should continue to inspire us as we work together towards a shared future. 
 
With best regards, 
 

Signature

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 26 MAY 2025

South Africa and the US have much to gain from working together

Dear Fellow South African,

Last week, I undertook a successful working visit to the United States at the invitation of President Donald Trump to strengthen relations between our two countries.

The delegation that accompanied me included a diverse range of South Africans, with representatives from Government, business, labour and the sporting fraternity, all united in advancing our country’s interests.

South Africa has always regarded the United States as a strong investment and trading partner. Our countries and our economies are bound together in many ways. We went to Washington to establish a basis for greater economic cooperation and to address some of the challenges that have recently arisen in relations between our two countries.

Our visit came at a time when US-SA relations have come under increasing strain, largely as a result of misinformation peddled by fringe groups in our two countries, including a false narrative about a so-called genocide and an orchestrated campaign of violence against white farmers.

In this context, it was critical for us to engage directly with the US administration to correct misinformation and provide a true account of the progress we have made as a democracy and the many and complex challenges we still face.

While this was a necessary conversation, the overarching aim of our visit was to deepen our strategic economic partnership with the US as our second-largest trading partner.

The US is a key export market for South African goods, products and services, including motor vehicles, agricultural products and, increasingly, critical minerals. At the same time we buy many goods and services from the US.

There is potential to increase and diversify trade between our two countries in areas such as gas, mining and critical minerals, agriculture and nuclear products.

The US is a major source of investment in South Africa. There are over 600 US companies, many with a long-established presence here, who continue to expand their investments.

By way of example, earlier this year tech giant Microsoft announced plans to invest an additional R5.4 billion in expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa over the next two years. Last week, there was a strong showing of US companies at an important energy conference in Cape Town.

According to data from the US Department of Commerce, these South Africa-based US companies employ around 148,000 South Africans. South Africa continues to be a tourist destination to many US citizens. Last year close to 400,000 American tourists visited South Africa.

South Africa and the US have for many years had a longstanding development partnership in critical areas such as health, education and environmental conservation and protection.

One of the key outcomes of the substantive discussions we had with President Trump was agreement on an economic cooperation channel between the US administration and South Africa to engage further on tariffs and a broad range of trade matters.

President Trump agreed that the US should continue playing a key role in the G20, including attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg later this year, where South Africa will hand over the presidency of the G20 to the US.

We also discussed exploring new opportunities for companies from South Africa and the US in each other’s markets. We were able to update US officials on the ongoing structural reform process underway to improve the ease of doing business and facilitate a favourable investment climate.

We are operating from a firm base. Last year’s country Investment Climate Summit published by the US State Department highlights South Africa being an attractive investment hub, citing key factors such as deep and well-regulated capital markets, strengths in manufacturing stable institutions, an independent judiciary and robust legal sector, respect for the rule of law, a mature financial and services sector, and experienced local partners.

We have extended an invitation to President Trump to send a government and business delegation to South Africa to explore opportunities for deepening investment and trade.

In 1990, soon after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela addressed the US Congress. He spoke of the envisaged economic cooperation between a democratic South Africa and the US as “not a relationship between donor and recipient, between a dependent and a benefactor”, but one of mutual benefit.

This spirit of cooperation remains firmly in place more than 30 years later. 

Our successful working visit to the US reaffirmed the importance of keeping the channels of dialogue open. The willingness of the US to engage with South Africa on resetting our relationship is testament to the strength of the bilateral relationship.

We need to work together as Government, business, labour and all of society to overcome our domestic challenges, including the high rate of crime, if we are to attract investment that advances economic growth and creates jobs.

As South Africans, as a sovereign and independent nation, we are always ready to acknowledge and address our problems, just as we are always ready to engage our critics in meaningful discussion.

We are pleased that our visit to Washington established a basis for greater engagement and cooperation. Our two countries have everything to gain from working more closely together.

With best regards,

Signature

 

2025 CHILD PROTECTION MONTH

The 2025 Child Protect Month is  taking place from the 11 May to 11 June 2025, under the theme “Working together in ending violence against children” . Child Protection Month is  part of the 365 Days Child Protection Programme of Action activities to place children’s issues on the spotlight, focussing on targeted interventions to children, parents, caregivers and communities, raising awareness on plight of children who on daily basis are confronted with violence and social ills that affect their well-being, raising awareness and education about available services as communities are often unaware where to go when experiencing challenges or are in crisis. The education and awareness enable early detection, reporting and referral of children and families in distress for early intervention services.

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 12 MAY 2025

We are deepening our trade and investment ties across Africa 


Dear Fellow South African, 
 
This week I am attending the Africa CEO Forum in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, where we are showcasing our country’s potential as a premier investment and trade destination. We are also supporting South African firms as they seek new opportunities on the continent. 
 
This is an annual event that brings together almost 3,000 CEOs, heads of state and investors to explore potential business leads, partnerships and opportunities. 
 
South Africa’s high-level participation in this Forum underscores our commitment to play a leading role in Africa’s economic integration. 
 
The Africa CEO Forum takes place at a time of much disruption in the global economy, characterised by geopolitical tension, trade wars and conflicts that are causing instability in key shipping corridors. 
 
What this means is that South African businesses are actively exploring new market opportunities. 
 
South African investments in other African countries have a long history. These investments have grown and diversified from mining into sectors such as construction, IT and telecommunications, healthcare, financial services, retail and the green economy. 
 
Since the advent of democracy in 1994, our government has implemented several initiatives to promote trade and investment elsewhere on the continent, including partnerships and trade agreements. 
 
We are witnessing the benefits of these efforts. The latest trade statistics published by the SA Revenue Service point to increased exports to countries in the region, like Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia, as well as with the rest of Africa. 
 
We are determined to use the longstanding presence of South African companies on our continent to expand trade and investment with fellow African nations. 
 
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is creating a more predictable and conducive environment for business to thrive across borders. Our businesses must seize this opportunity even as the processes of harmonising regulations continues. 
 
The upheavals in the global economy present an opportunity for strategic, Africa-focused trade and investment policy. 
 
South African business must be at the forefront of the transformation of African industry. As government, we are committed to provide the necessary supportive policy and regulatory frameworks. 

By equal measure we will be making the case for African firms to invest in South Africa. We have a diverse economy with highly developed industrial sectors. We have established industries in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, financial and professional services, IT and others. 
 
South Africa is a leader in digital innovation on the continent and one of the leading incubators of tech start-ups. The World Intellectual Property Organisation ranks South Africa second among economies in sub-Saharan Africa in the Global Innovation Index.
 
The structural reform process began under the sixth administration and continued under the Government of National Unity aims to position South Africa as a premier trade and investment destination. 
 
We are working to make our economy more competitive by reducing the cost of doing business, improving our infrastructure and investing in skills development. We are reforming our visa regime to attract skills and promote tourism in South Africa.
 
We are using our G20 Presidency to amplify the continent’s voice and focus global attention on Africa’s economic potential. We are prioritising inclusive global cooperation, a just and equitable economic recovery and promoting long-term environmental resilience. 
 
South Africa is greatly encouraged by a new wave of continental business expansion. We are forging ahead to deepen investment and trade with the rest of the continent in a manner that contributes to shared prosperity for all Africa’s people. 
 
With best regards,

Signature

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - 5 MAY 2025

We need to protect the rights of workers to build an inclusive economy

Dear Fellow South African,

We have just observed Workers’ Day, which is commemorated across the world in honour of the struggles of workers for fair labour standards and conditions of work.

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, we have observed Workers’ Day also to acknowledge the historical role of workers and the labour movement in our broader struggle for freedom.

Over the past 31 years we have made considerable progress in improving our labour laws and protecting the rights of workers.

We emerged from a past where black workers were deliberately denied their rights. For many years, black workers could not be organised into unions, through job reservation they were denied access to certain occupations and they often worked in unsafe and unhealthy conditions.

Today, the rights of workers in South Africa are protected and enforced. The Constitution enshrines the rights of workers as it does the rights of every person who lives in South Africa. Since 1994, we have passed progressive laws to give effect to the rights of workers.

Following extensive consultation with business, labour and civil society, in 2019 we introduced a National Minimum Wage, setting a wage below which no worker may be paid. Studies have found that since its introduction the National Minimum Wage has led to a significant increase in hourly wages for workers, and has also played a role in reducing the gap between the highest and lowest paid workers.

We have sought to break from our apartheid past where workers laboured under oppressive conditions to swell the profits of companies without receiving even the most basic benefits. This includes measures to advance worker ownership in companies. An increasing number of workers are part of worker share ownership programmes.

We have been deliberate in our efforts to protect the rights of women workers. The Employment Equity Act prohibits unfair discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, pregnancy and marital status. Female workers are guaranteed specific entitlements such as maternity and family responsibility leave, and we have laws that safeguard against sexual harassment and gender-based violence in the workplace.

At a time of constrained economic growth and high unemployment, we have seen calls from some people, including political parties, for our country’s labour laws to be ‘relaxed’ in response to the prevailing economic climate.

Stimulating economic growth and job creation and retaining worker protections are not mutually exclusive. In fact, worker rights have been found to improve productivity and thereby enhance the growth of companies and the economy. They also help to distribute the benefits of growth more equally and improve economic stability.

In addition, South Africa’s labour laws are part of our effort to overcome the structural inequality of apartheid.

The latest report of the Employment Equity Commission shows how far we still have to go in ending the race-based disparities that exist in our economy.

Despite Africans constituting the majority of the economically active population, the majority of top management positions in the private sector are still held by white males. This trend is observed at senior management level in nearly every economic category. Black South Africans are predominantly in the semi-skilled and unskilled categories.

While there has been much improvement since the advent of employment equity legislation, it is clear that not enough has been done to change the racial composition of the ownership, control and management of our economy.

Employment equity is not the only area where challenges remain. The International Labour Organisation has highlighted problems of compliance with labour laws in South Africa, as well as inadequate safeguards for workers in the burgeoning informal sector.

That is why part of our G20 Presidency involves engagements with labour over the consolidation of worker rights. We have held fruitful discussions in this regard with the International Trade Union Confederation and others.

Despite these challenges, as a country we will continue to use our progressive labour laws to correct the imbalances of the past, and to ensure that these protections translate into tangible benefits for workers.

We call on business in particular to take the necessary measures to ensure that their workplaces reflect both the letter and spirit of laws such as the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Companies should go beyond compliance by actively fostering diversity and inclusion as envisaged in our Constitution by addressing historical inequalities and create opportunities for under-represented groups among their workers, such as women, the youth and persons with disabilities. They should also ensure that their workplaces are spaces where dignity, respect and human rights are upheld in daily practice and not just in policies.

At a time when our singular focus is on inclusive economic growth and job creation, we must continue to work together to improve the lives of every South African worker. Let us use the hard-won gains of workers to create new opportunities for all.

With best regards,

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