Economist Andre Roux has attributed the high unemployment rate of 32,9 to the poorly performing economy, among other things.
Professor Roux says another contributory factor could be that some businesses are now resorting to using machinery and robotic methods instead of relying on manual labour.
Roux, an economist from the Stellenbosch School of Business, says the country may need to deal with the challenge of companies using technology and machinery as opposed to employing manual labour.
"One possible reason is that the economy is not growing. And even if it can grow that doesnt guarantee job creation. You can grow the economy without using labour rather than using technology and machinery," he says.
"That often happens because ironically and paradoxically, if I want to expand my production as a business, theres no law that obliges me to employ labour to do so. However, if I do employ labour then I am subjected to whole range of laws. So, it is almost paradoxical wheres if I buy a machine or use a robot," adds Roux.