Empowering youth to break the cycle of unemployment

Despite a 1.2% rise in South Africa’s employment rate to 60.89% in 2024, pressure is mounting to better prepare the country’s youth for the job market, according to a social worker.

Ester Wollenschlaeger Uys, a registered social worker certified in 2010 and founder of the Cape Flats Youth Development Programme, is spearheading literacy and numeracy support programmes in Vrygrond and surrounding schools. 

Her team offers programmes at Zerilda Park Primary, in Seawinds and the Ithemba Community Centre, in Vrygrond, as well as Floreat Primary, in Retreat.

She said foundational literacy and numeracy are essential - not just for school, but for life, adding:  “Without these skills, access to opportunity becomes almost impossible.”

Ms Wollenschlaeger Uys said: “Parents can only do so much. At some point, our youth must understand that their future depends on the choices they make. We are here to guide them, but they must take ownership of their journey.”

Local organisations and individuals are working tirelessly to equip youth with the tools they need to rewrite their futures, and in a community long defined by poverty, crime, and unemployment.

Where Rainbows Meet, a grassroots non-profit organisation in Vrygrond, is leading the change.

It offers young people a pathway out of hardship through education, mentorship, and life skills development. 

Mymoena Scholtz, founder of Where Rainbows Meet, said they are “changing the narrative”.

“So many young people arrive at our gates weighed down by their circumstances. But once they come through, they start to believe in their potential. That’s where the real transformation begins.

With youth unemployment in the area at crisis levels and gang recruitment on the rise, the need for proactive interventions has never been greater. “Where one gangster falls, another 20 are waiting to take his place,” said Ms Scholtz.

“Our development programmes are designed to break that cycle.”

From further education and training (FET) colleges to university access, the organisation puts education at the centre of its work. In 2025 alone, more than 60 young people graduated from accredited computer courses - many the first in their families to receive any form of post-school certification.

Where Rainbows Meet programme manager Kyle Cupido oversees the organisation’s job readiness programme, which includes computer literacy, business workshops, secretarial training, and soft skills such as time management, conflict resolution, and interview preparation.

“There’s a huge need,” said Mr Cupido.

“Our youth not only face unemployment, but also a lack of recreational space and the constant threat of extortion that discourages youth entrepreneurship. We’re working to empower them with the skills - and the confidence - they need to rise above those challenges.”

Every year, Where Rainbows Meet celebrates the graduation of the computer skills students. Lorenzo Benn is an exceptional student who has been volunteering and attending courses since he was 12 years old.

Mr Benn, 20, from Vrygrond, is proving that with passion, perseverance, and purpose, young people can rise above their environment and inspire real change, both in and out of the water.

He represented South Africa at the Youth Surfing Championships.

Mr Benn’s journey has been anything but ordinary. He started surfing at age seven, mastering both longboards and shortboards. In 2023, he claimed victory in the Western Province Under-18 Surfing Championships - but his story doesn’t stop at competitive success.

“I’m also giving back,” said Mr Benn, who now teaches surfing to three younger children from his community.

“It’s not just about the waves. It’s about showing them there’s another way - staying off the streets, away from drugs, and closer to the ocean.”

Mr Benn was riding the “digital wave” and recently completed a computer skills course through Where Rainbows Meet.

“It was a fun experience. I even own a laptop,” he said, adding that he is using it to start a business course and learn how to run his own company.

He’s already thinking ahead, wanting to empower others in the same way he was helped.

“I want to help more youth at Where Rainbows Meet," he said.

Mr Benn’s commitment to the community started early.

“I began volunteering when I was around 12 or 13, back in primary school,” he recalls.

He’s participated in clean-up projects and enrolled in a gardening course - though he didn’t complete it, he said it taught him responsibility and connection to the land.

For youth to successfully participate in skills training, it is essential that they first acquire strong literacy and numeracy skills during the foundation phase of primary education.

Ms Wollenschlaeger Uys said she was approached by the Chrestway High School to help address their growing academic challenges.

“Many learners are struggling to read and write at a basic level, and still at a high school level," adding that it has emotional, social, and long-term financial consequences.”

She has a pilot programme for high schoolers.

“I will be discussing the new programme with teachers and the principal soon.”