KATLEHONG - Youth unemployment in South Africa remains dire, nearly 30 years into democracy...
As the country's marks another Youth Day, eNCA visited schools in Katlehong, west of Johannesburg and found hopeful young people who are trying to beat the odds.
WATCH: 2023 Youth Day commemoration
29-year-old actuarial science graduate, Tsietsi Ngobese, is hoping to change things in his home town.
Through his WeSolve4X programme, he offers free math tuition to school pupils across the country.
Katlehong is close to his heart.
Ngobese said, “when we started assisting kids with maths in different schools, and we saw the need to assist more, so that we can close the gap, so learners can perform better in mathematics."
"But we also go a step further by bringing parents in, to teach parents math, so that they can help their kids with homework, so that they can get involved in their child’s education.”
More than 3.5-million young South Africans between the ages of 15 and 24 are not in employment, education or training, according to Stats SA.
It’s a staggering number.
In Katlehong - small initiatives to improve math skills may hopefully save some from falling into that bracket.
Phumulani Secondary School principal Baldwin Malebana said, "most of our learners are coming from poverty-stricken households. Number 2, broken homes, child headed homes for one reason or the other."
"There are social ills and evils that placate the community. By extension, there are few professionals in the area.”
Eketsang Secondary School principal Mzotiti Fumbata said, "you see, we are looking at the economic situation in South Africa. Clearly when the economy is not in a good position, it will clearly impact other aspects of life. Because they are interdependent."
But even if the economic outlook begins showing signs of improving, one economist says young South Africans are at the mercy of a failing education system that does nothing to prepare them for work.
Ngobese says while the system is being fixed, initiatives like his #BecomeAnActuary programme will help keep people’s dreams alive.
He says he has faith that black youngsters can grow the current 2,000 actuaries in the country to a much bigger number.