richardw@workforce.co.za

By Daniel Orelowitz, MD at Training Force

South Africa’s unemployment crisis is a national tragedy. Stats SA in the final Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for 2024 confirmed the scale of the challenge – too many are seeking work and finding only frustration. But what if this crisis could be rebranded as an opportunity? What if there’s a way to equip jobless South Africans with the skills they need to build real careers, even if it means setting them up to look for overseas opportunities first? The world needs trained workers and skilled professionals, particularly in the food production, hospitality and customer service industries.

Training South Africans to meet those needs would be life changing and the impact of training programmes tailored for international employers would be invaluable. Our people could gain global experience, earn competitive wages and develop much-needed expertise, which they’ll bring home with them and put to work strengthening South African industries. It’s a win-win situation, that much is undeniable. The only thing that remains is figuring out how to make it happen faster – how to effectively turn local training into launchpads for global careers.

Setting the scene – breaking down the figures
South Africa’s official unemployment rate saw a slight dip to 31.9% in Q4 2024, according to Stats SA. While this shows a small increase in employment and a decrease in the number of unemployed, it masks a concerning trend: a rise in discouraged work-seekers by 160 000 (up by 5,0%). This suggests that many have given up hope of finding employment, a worrying indicator of the depth of the problem. Furthermore, youth unemployment, while showing a marginal improvement to 44.6%, remains high, indicating the continued vulnerability of young people in the labour market.

The big picture here? Millions of people, especially young people, cannot find jobs. This is partly because businesses, both international and South African, aren’t investing enough in the country. Factors like complicated regulations make it hard to do business here and companies often look elsewhere, discouraged from expansion and investment by the amount of red tape involved in dealing with South Africa. For our youth, 337 158 matrics qualified recently for university admission but there are only 202 000 places at campuses around the country. This shows that we have people willing to work and willing to learn; however, a shortage of opportunities prevents them from doing so.

Rebranding to find a new horizon of opportunity

On the other hand, there is an urgent need for skilled workers in places like Europe and America. They’ve got aging populations and not enough young people to fill the vacancies. Plus, even though still highly-qualified, a lot of people aren’t interested in some of the more basic, but still important, jobs – like business administrative work or skilled trades. Even call centres in the UK cannot retain staff, despite competitive pay and lucrative benefits. Simply put, these just aren’t jobs that people over there want to do, and that leaves a gap for South Africans to fill.

So, how do we help South Africans to seize these life-changing global opportunities? This is where targeted training comes in, with the potential to address our unemployment crisis from a fresh angle. We’re already seeing interest from overseas companies looking to hire, and now our job is to bridge the gap by equipping people with the skills they need to take them overseas to more mature markets. It’s about training people to meet international standards so they can confidently take on 12-month contracts abroad.

Preparing for global work and strengthening local industries
Consider this analogy: Just as South Africans frequently relocate within the country for employment opportunities, so too could they seek work internationally. Instead of a move from Mpumalanga to Cape Town, for example, it now becomes possible to make a move from Mpumalanga to London. The pay is competitive, the experience is incredible, and when these individuals return, their employability has increased.

By Hannah Moodley

Employment Equity (EE) is more than a compliance requirement—it is a strategic tool that organisations can leverage to drive transformation and build a pipeline of skilled professionals. While EE plans are designed to promote fair representation and diversity in the workplace, their effectiveness depends on the availability of structured, skills-based training that prepares employees for meaningful career progression.

Is Your EE Plan Truly Effective?

For many organisations, the challenge is not only meeting the numerical targets of an EE plan but ensuring that employees are genuinely empowered through skills development. Without structured training interventions, EE transformation can become a box-ticking exercise rather than a mechanism for real change.

Can Unaccredited or Aligned Training Meet EE Objectives?

A common concern for businesses is whether unaccredited or aligned training programs contribute meaningfully to EE goals. The answer lies in a blended approach. While formal qualifications are valuable, unaccredited short courses and skills programs provide employees with the practical expertise required to perform effectively in their roles. These programmes offer flexibility, are tailored to industry needs, and can be implemented more efficiently than full qualifications.

Tailored Training Solutions for Sustainable EE Transformation

At Training Force, we offer a range of training solutions that support businesses in meeting their EE objectives while equipping employees with the necessary skills to advance their careers. Our short courses, skills programs, and learnerships are designed to align with your EE plan, ensuring that by the end of its cycle, employees have undergone meaningful skills transformation.

By integrating structured training into EE strategies, businesses can create a sustainable succession plan, closing skills gaps while promoting leadership development. The result is a workforce that is not only compliant with EE requirements but also more capable, competitive, and future-ready.

Invest in skills development today to ensure the full impact of EE transformation is objectively met.

By Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director at Training Force

The establishment of shopping centres in rural South Africa presents a significant opportunity to stimulate economic growth and create much-needed employment. However, realising this potential hinges on effectively addressing a critical challenge: the skills gap within local communities.

The economic impact of rural shopping centres
Shopping centres act as economic catalysts in several important ways. They generate direct employment opportunities across various roles, from retail assistants and cashiers to security guards, cleaning staff, and management positions. By offering a wider variety of goods and services, they reduce the need for long-distance travel for basic necessities, keeping spending within the local economy. In the same vein, shopping centres attract other businesses, such as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that may open complementary services, further expanding employment opportunities. Finally, they can serve as social hubs, fostering a sense of community and providing spaces for social interaction and local events

Identifying the skills gap
People in rural communities may lack the skills needed to succeed in the retail sector. This includes a lack of understanding in areas like customer service, inventory management, and basic financial literacy. They may also lack familiarity with technology used in retail settings and essential people skills like communication and teamwork. By addressing these skill gaps, training programmes can equip individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in the retail sector.

Hosted solutions – a practical approach to skills development
To bridge these gaps, “hosted solutions” – dedicated training centres established within or near rural communities – offer a practical and effective approach. These centres provide hands-on training in simulated retail environments, allowing trainees to apply theoretical knowledge and develop essential skills. By locating training centres within or near rural communities, these solutions improve accessibility by reducing travel time and costs for participants. The training curriculum can be tailored to specific industry needs and local market demands, ensuring training remains relevant and valuable while training centres can offer ongoing support, mentorship, and job placement assistance, increasing the likelihood of successful career pathways.

Proactively focusing on retail-specific skills
Equipping candidates for retail jobs requires a focus on several critical areas, such as excellent customer service skills, which includes effective communication, active listening, problem-solving, and the ability to build rapport with customers. Training in inventory management, including the understanding of stock control principles, for receiving, storing, and tracking inventory accurately, is also essential. Cashier operations, including handling cash transactions, processing payments, and managing returns, require thorough training. Developing persuasive communication skills, product knowledge, and the ability to upsell and cross-sell effectively are also essential sales techniques that can be taught.

Importantly, training should commence before and during the construction of shopping centres in rural areas. This proactive approach will allow local communities to directly benefit from the development by providing employment opportunities for skilled individuals from the very beginning. It will also ensure that the workforce is adequately prepared to meet the demands of the new retail outlets as they open, leading to smoother operations, increased customer satisfaction, and long-term success for the businesses within the shopping centre.

Building partnerships for success
Partnerships with local stakeholders are vital to ensure the success of these training initiatives. Community leaders play a vital role in identifying training needs and mobilising community support, while educational institutions can provide access to training resources and facilities, and local transport providers can arrange affordable and accessible transportation for trainees to attend training centres.

Close collaboration with retailers will be necessary to ensure training programmes align with the specific requirements and expectations of the industry. Here, retailers should actively participate in the design and delivery of training programmes, providing input on skills needs, industry best practices, and desired employee attributes. Retailers can also provide mentorship opportunities for trainees, allowing them to gain practical experience and build professional networks, even playing an active role in job placement by offering priority hiring to graduates of the training programmes.

Skills development as a catalyst for upliftment
In prioritising skills development, rural communities can transform shopping centre developments into drivers of sustainable socio-economic progress. The empowerment of local residents with the skills and knowledge necessary to secure employment within the retail sector can create sustainable employment opportunities that reduces migration to urban areas as well as reliance on subsistence farming. Furthermore, by increasing local spending and attracting further investment within the community, these initiatives can boost local economies.

By investing in targeted and accessible training initiatives, leveraging the power of dedicated training centres within local communities, and fostering strong partnerships with local stakeholders, South Africa can significantly enhance the impact of rural shopping centres. These initiatives will not only generate employment opportunities and stimulate economic growth but also greatly benefit rural communities.