The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, has urged the private sector to open its doors wider to young graduates in South Africa by creating more internship opportunities.
The Deputy Minister described youth unemployment as a national emergency.
Gina was speaking at a gala dinner hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council HSRC in Johannesburg on Tuesday, marking 20 years of an impactful graduate internship programme and celebrating 131 graduates who have just completed their two-year training at various institutions across the country.
She highlighted the 45.5 official youth unemployment rate and 62.1 under the expanded definition of youth unemployment, warning that South Africa is "sitting on a ticking time bomb" if bold action is not taken.
"We need every employer in the private sector, municipalities, and state-owned enterprises to double their absorption of young graduates each year. The future of our country depends on it," she said.
Since its establishment in 2005, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation's DSTI Graduate Internship Programme, implemented by the HSRC, has offered valuable workplace experience and research skills to over 7 600 unemployed graduates.
This programme focuses on fields such as science, engineering, technology, humanities, and social sciences.
In terms of demographics, 91 of interns placed were black, including African, Coloured and Indian, while 68 were female and 2 were persons with disabilities.