Mastercard has welcomed its 2026 Youth Employment Service YES cohort, reinforcing its commitment to unlocking opportunities for young South Africans and strengthening the country's future talent pipeline as part of the YES initiative.
In collaboration with YES, this initiative offers emerging talent invaluable hands-on experience, structured mentorship, and skills development within a fast-evolving digital economy. YES Youth are integrated across Mastercard teams, working on high impact projects to complete their twelve-month work experience programme, while building the professional grounding needed for long-term careers.
Youth unemployment in South Africa remains a significant economic challenge, with rates reaching 58.5 for those aged 15-24 in Q3 2025. Through strategic programmes like YES, Mastercard continues to invest in practical solutions that help bridge the gap between education and employment.
