As South Africa’s graduate unemployment climbs, students and experts question whether education is still the bridge to a better future.
Graduate unemployment rose from 8.7% to 11.7% in the first quarter of 2025.
Students from top universities say passion-led study choices often clash with harsh job market realities.
Experts warn of rigid hiring practices and a lack of state-driven job creation.
Picture this – you’re sitting in a lecture hall waiting for your final class of the year to begin. The lights cast uneven shadows on tired faces, some bored, others gripping pens a little too tightly. Your thoughts drift to unanswered job applications, the ones you stayed up late to finish, the ones that vanished into inboxes with no reply. As you walk out and pass the campus library for what might be the last time, the weight of uncertainty settles in. Soon, this place won’t be part of your daily life anymore, and then what? It’s not just you. Across the country, graduates and students alike are facing the sharp edge of South Africa’s job crisis.
A Degree, But No Guarantee
The latest data from Statistics South Africa shows graduate unemployment has climbed from 8,7% to 11,7% in just three months. For those with only a matric or less, the odds are worse. These are the everyday struggles of young people who hoped education would be the bridge to a better life. Their ability to find work is not just about personal success, it also shapes whether the country sees a return on its investment in higher education. When graduates work, they don’t just earn a living, they help fuel the economy and expand what the state can provide. Right now, many are left standing at the edge of that promise, unsure of what comes next.
Holding a tertiary qualification amplifies the chances of finding work in Africa’s most industrialised economy, but even that is starting to slip. According to the World Bank, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with joblessness hovering at 33%, second only to Eswatini.
Wits University’s Great Hall stands as a symbol of academic excellence in Johannesburg, but for many graduates, the path beyond its steps remains uncertain. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
Education vs Reality
Wits University sits in the heart of Johannesburg, a city often described as the engine of the country’s economy. Matshinye France Richia, a final-year postgraduate LLB student, walks those campus corridors with a quiet mix of confidence and caution. “I was honestly naive to the employability of the career I was choosing,” he says. Like many others, he chased a dream, to become a lawyer, without fully grasping the realities of the field. He believes that being at a top university and maintaining a strong academic record could give him an edge, but he admits the legal profession is crowded. Still, switching courses was never an option. “All I told myself is that I would do things differently so as to stand out.”
In Bloemfontein, the country’s judicial capital, known as the city of roses, for the blooms that line its streets, Juanique Botha is nearing the end of her social work studies at the University of the Free State. She walks the campus knowing she’s close to the finish line, but unsure of what lies beyond it. Like Matshinye, she followed her passion without thinking too deeply about what came after. “I knew social work was in demand back then,” she says. “But later I discovered that social workers don’t get paid a lot and work is scarce.” Her worry runs deeper than the paycheck, it’s the silence that follows graduation, the long wait for calls that never come. “Most graduates need connections to get a job,” she says, a quiet truth many young people know too well. Still, she’s not ready to turn away. For Botha, social work is not just a degree, it’s a calling. “It’s not for the money, but for the services you provide,” she says, holding onto the reason she started, even as the job market grows colder.
In the heart of the Cape Winelands, where vineyards stretch toward the mountains, Ave Konkwane is completing a master’s degree in general Linguistics at Stellenbosch University, one of South Africa’s top institutions, Ave had high hopes when he enrolled. “I thought as soon as I finish my degree, I will be very much employable,” he says. Now, close to the end, he finds himself staring into a narrow job market where most options seem limited to academia. “It seems as though there are no jobs that specifically require a Linguistics degree,” he explains, unless one becomes a lecturer or researcher. He once considered switching to law, but age, money, and practicality kept him on the current path. Despite his fears of joining the growing list of unemployed graduates, he holds on to hope. “If not employment, then I’ll equip myself with the skills to start a business,” he says.
Former UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng engages Wits students in a guest lecture. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
At the University of Cape Town, recently ranked 180th in the world by Times Higher Education, Dr Emma Whitelaw is one of the researchers working to unpack the deeper story behind South Africa’s graduate unemployment crisis. As a Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), she studies inequality in post-school education, and what it really means to be a graduate in today’s economy. According to Whitelaw, graduate unemployment must be seen in the context of the broader labour market. “Graduates still face the same adverse conditions as other workers,” she says, “but degree holders continue to have the lowest unemployment rates when compared to other education levels.” The recent uptick in graduate unemployment, may simply reflect the seasonal influx of new graduates into the labour force each year, rather than a structural shift. There are still concerns. “It could signal that there are too many graduates with qualifications in specialisations that are not in demand,” Whitelaw notes.
She also points to a shift in who is graduating. As more students from disadvantaged backgrounds earn degrees, they may not have the same access to job-seeking networks or support. “Previously, graduates were more likely to come from families where those networks could help them find work,” she explains. Now, despite equal qualifications, some graduates, particularly black women, are more likely to remain unemployed. “From the data we have, it’s not yet clear whether this is due to labour market discrimination or the kinds of qualifications and institutions different groups are sorting into,” Whitelaw says.
Global Perspective on a Shrinking South African Job Market
Now based in the sunbaked heat of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a Middle Eastern powerhouse ranked 19th globally in GDP with an economy exceeding $1 trillion, Dr Martyn Davies watches South Africa’s graduate job crisis from afar with a mix of concern and frustration. A former senior partner at Deloitte, Davies now serves as Vice President of the City Excellence Division and Head of the Retail and Citizen Engagement sectors at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Speaking from his new home, Davies doesn’t mince words. “In a slow, no-growth economy, opportunities are not being created,” he says. “And that’s largely as a result of a lack of government initiative.” Without a proactive state creating an enabling environment for job growth, he warns, everyone pays the price, from high school dropouts to university graduates. “No good news here,” he adds. Even graduates who make careful, pragmatic choices face a rigid and limiting employment system, according to Davies. “South African HR departments are very, very narrow-minded,” he says. “They see your potential only through what you studied, not who you are or what you can become.” In his view, this culture stifles mobility and creativity. A journalism graduate, for example, is only seen as a journalist, not as someone with transferable skills, multilingual ability, or a strong work ethic. “They ignore all of that,” he says. “They don’t see the person, only the piece of paper.”
Degree of Uncertainty
Even students like Katleho Senyane, an honours Chemical Engineering student at Wits with a job lined up through a bursary, admit the system is fragile. “It’s no secret that the graduate unemployment numbers are scary,” he says, pointing out that even doctors and engineers aren’t spared. He believes the public sector could unlock mass employment, if the government steps up. As graduates flood a shrinking job market, one question remains: will the system catch up, or keep leaving even the best-prepared behind?
FEATURED IMAGE: Wits students sit attentively during a lecture, holding onto hope that their education will still open doors in a tough job market. Photo: Rivaldo Jantjies
Scholars reflect on naming as a cultural practice.
Naming shapes legacy and identity in post- apa4rtheid South Africa.
Wit’s buildings like Solomon Mahlangu House reflect ongoing efforts to decolonise space.
Naming is a political act that restores dignity and reclaims erased histories.
When students walk in and out of Solomon Mahlangu House daily, their very lived experience speaks to the act of reclaiming and renaming public spaces. The age-old question, “what’s in a name?” was grappled with by students and staff at an event hosted by the Wits School of Architecture and Planning in collaboration with the Gauteng Geographical Names Committee (GGNC).
The theme “The Power of a Name” guided conversation on the role of naming as a cultural and political act which can shape identity, reclaim history, and reflect power dynamics (particularly in post-apartheid South Africa).
Professor Mnamdi Elleh opened the discussion with the statement, “There is power in a name when creating a legacy.” He said cities like Johannesburg hold layered histories, and names often serve as gateways to understanding them. Naming, he argued, is not just a symbolic act it’s a powerful tool in shaping public memory and influencing how we perceive space.
Dr Sipho Nkosi from the GGNC expanded on this idea, framing naming and renaming as processes of “reservation, restoration, and promotion.” According to Nkosi, restoring indigenous names or renaming places after significant local figures is one way to address the erasures of the past.
This discussion resonates strongly at Wits itself. Over the years, the university has renamed several of its buildings to better reflect its commitment to transformation and inclusivity. Solomon Mahlangu House, formerly Senate House, was renamed in 2017 following student protests that highlighted the need to decolonise institutional spaces. Robert Sobukwe Block, located on the Education Campus, commemorates the Pan- Africanist leader and Wits alumnus who played a critical role in the struggle against apartheid.
Meanwhile, buildings like William Cullen Library, John Moffat Building, and Ernest Oppenheimer Hall still bear the names of colonial figures, missionaries, and mining magnates raising ongoing debates about legacy and historical accountability within the university.
Dr Nicole Cloete stressed that renaming does not erase existing histories but rather allows new layers of meaning to emerge particularly those that were previously excluded or marginalised. Dr Lorato Mokwena added, “History will always be contested,” highlighting that naming is always entangled in politics and power. She reminded the audience that renaming is not a neutral act it reflects broader cultural and ideological shifts and often comes with resistance.
Honours student Lesedi Tlala, from the School of Pathology, found the session informative. “There’s a lot of storytelling behind names,” she noted. For her, names reveal complex relationships between place, memory, and identity especially when examined through a geographical lens.
As the discussions made clear, naming is not just about what we call places it’s about what, and who, we choose to remember. And at Wits, as in the country at large, those choices continue to matter
FEATURED IMAGE: Panel members at the event: Dr Nicole, Mr Mkhize, Dr Mokwena. Photo: Lindelwa Khanyile
On May 21, 2025, the US government met with SA’s presidency to discuss key issues that threaten SA and the USA’s longstanding alliance.
This follows the first group of Afrikaner refugees being granted asylum in the USA under the executive order by President Trump.
False claims of white genocide and persecution continue to threaten the stability of social and political relations.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump publicly addressed accusations of white genocide in South Africa, highlighting the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 as proof of these claims. Trump followed this up by issuing an executive order granting Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S.A. Three months later, the first group of refugees departed from O.R. Tambo International Airport on Sunday, May 11.
AfriForum’s media manager, Ilze Nieuwoudt said: “AfriForum is not involved in the resettlement programme of the refugees but has been involved in the debate as it has developed over the past few months.”
The highly anticipated meeting happened on May 21 at the White House. Ramaphosa was accompanied by Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni. Interestingly, the entourage also included golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and billionaire Johaan Rupert.
During the meeting, Ramaphosa expressed “joy” and said he wanted to “reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa” due to the longstanding alliance.
Trump’s attempt to corner Ramaphosa and his delegates by playing video clips of Julius Malema singing the controversial, ‘Kill The Boer’ (an Apartheid-era struggle song) at an EFF rally was unsuccessful. Another clip included former president, Jacob Zuma singing ‘Dubula iBhunu’ (Shoot the Boer) at an ANC rally.
South African Research Chair in Mobility & the Politics of Difference in the African Centre of Migration and Society at Wits University, Dr. Loren B. Landau, said that by any standards, white Afrikaners do not face persecution.
“Individuals may face discrimination or threats, but if you look at landownership, employment, government leadership, and business, Afrikaners are overrepresented.”
Echoing Landau’s statements, Director of Wits University’s Centre for Diversity Studies, Professor Nicky Falkof, highlighted that legitimate refugees are still being excluded while privileged white Afrikaner refugees get the “red carpet treatment” from the U.S.A.
“The less airtime we give to these ridiculous, self-serving, hysterical, sensationalist far-right mythologies, the better,” Falkof asserted.
Worried of the risks and the potential fallout, Falkof warns that racial violence could be on the horizon, with retaliation from armed local far-right groups looming due to the current misinformation crisis that is radicalising their political stances and ideologies.
Ramaphosa addressed Trump’s misinformed claims as false and urged that Trump listen to South African voices, including those of his white friends in the room.
The meeting concluded on a hopeful note. Ramaphosa said that he still expects the U.S. to remain a key ally, especially with the upcoming G20 summit in November 2025.
FEATURED IMAGE: Digital artwork showing the flags of South Africa and the United States of America, with side-by-side portraits of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump while a fire rages beneath them. Graphic: Katlego Makhutle
A 12-year-old who never let go of her dream and is now a household name.
After two decades of chasing news, Chriselda Lewis is back in the classroom, now chasing assignment deadlines. Wits University was always her dream institution, but her parents could not afford to pay for the fees, so now she is paying her own way.
Born and bred in Mthata, Eastern Cape, where opportunities are scarce, Lewis was fortunate that her primary school came to her rescue.
“I was told that I was a shy kid; however, at the age of 12 years old there was a television scout that came to my school. My teacher selected me to become a children’s show presenter on Transkei Broadcasting Corporation.”
The moment she stood in front of the camera, she knew exactly what she wanted to be: “I liked the lights, I liked the camera, and I thought this is exactly what I’m going to become.”
Lewis completed her undergraduate studies in 2002 at Border Technikon, now known as Walter Sisulu University. After completing her studies, she began her career as an intern at The Sowetan in 2003.
“Working at The Sowetan was very challenging, as it was where I applied everything I had learned in tertiary education. It was also exciting because I had the opportunity to work with veteran journalists who had worked during the apartheid era, such as John Dludlu,” she said.
‘While I may not remember the first story I worked on at The Sowetan, I do remember cracking my first big story in 2004. One of them was the kidnapping and murder of university student Leigh Matthews,” she says.
As her career progressed from The Sowetan, she went on to work at the South African Press Association, followed by Talk Radio 702, then the SABC, where she made her first television appearance on SABC Africa.
In 2023, Lewis won the Journalist of the Year award in the Television: In-Depth/ Features/ Interviews category. Other career highlights include her coverage of the fall of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, the Oscar Pistorius trial and reporting on the earthquake in Türkiye-Syria.
Lewis always wanted to return to school, but never got the opportunity because her work life is demanding:
“As I speak to you, I’m in Bloemfontein to cover the memorial service of the police officers whose bodies were found in the Hennops River. Due to workload and insane working hours, I just never thought I’d find the opportunity to go back to school”.
Lewis says despite having 22 years of experience in her field, it doesn’t hurt to equip herself with better skills so that one day she can be a leader in the newsroom, and to do so, she must equip herself with the necessary qualifications.
But being back in the classroom hasn’t been easy. “If you give me a report I can do it for you, if you want me on TV, I can do it. I’ve moved into a different terrain doing academic writings which is a scary process,” she says.
When asked to share wisdom for aspiring journalists, Chriselda says, “This is not child’s play! Journalism is hard work; it is long hours. You are not going to survive if you don’t love this job. You have to love what you do!”
FEATURED IMAGE: Chriselda Lewis standing outside of the Wits Centre for Journalism. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
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