Johannesburg, South Africa – President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the SA National Leadership Convening on Youth Employment on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at the Galleria Conference and Events Venue in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The convention will bring together 250 senior leaders from government, business and civil society to strengthen collaboration in addressing youth unemployment and expanding access to economic opportunities for young South Africans.
The event is hosted by Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, which manages and operates SA Youth, in partnership with The Presidency, Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), the Department of Employment and Labour, the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the Youth Employment Service (YES).
The gathering comes as South Africa seeks to accelerate efforts to address youth unemployment through coordinated interventions that connect young people to employment, skills development, entrepreneurship and other income-generating opportunities.
Central to the discussions will be the emerging Work SA Youth Implementation Plan, a programme of action aimed at strengthening partnerships and practical delivery mechanisms capable of expanding opportunities for young people to earn a living.
According to the statement announcing the event, initiatives across government, business and civil society are already demonstrating progress in creating jobs, opening learning pathways, strengthening public employment programmes and supporting self-employment and enterprise development.
The convention will provide an opportunity to assess these interventions, demonstrate progress across different pathways to earning and identify initiatives that can be strengthened or expanded to achieve greater impact.
It will also seek to build confidence in the national programme of action by highlighting interventions already producing results and encouraging stronger coordination among institutions responsible for implementation.
President Ramaphosa’s keynote address is expected to reinforce the importance of collective leadership and coordinated action in tackling youth unemployment, one of South Africa’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges.
The gathering will focus on translating existing commitments and partnerships into practical implementation, with particular attention to interventions that can be scaled to reach more young people.
The SA National Leadership Convening is expected to contribute to a shared understanding of the next steps required to accelerate employment creation, strengthen pathways to earning and mobilise institutional resources towards reducing youth unemployment.
The convention will take place on Thursday, 22 October 2026, in Sandton, Johannesburg.
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