The Labour Activation Programme (LAP) in Saulsville, established new contracts valued at R1,2 billion on Thursday.
The Programme, run by the Department of Employment and Labour, part of the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF), is expected to create 30,876 high-impact training and workplace opportunities in Gauteng.
Young people are re-integrated back into the labour market through training and partnerships with the private sector, for a period of between 12 to 36 months.
Panyaza Lesufi, Premier of Gauteng, alongside Nomakhosazana Meth, Minister of Employment and Labour, officially handed over contracts to private companies to implement.
Meth said “Gauteng accounts for more than a third of South Africa’s GDP. It is home to the financial services hub, advanced manufacturing clusters, logistics corridors, the OR Tambo gateway to Africa, and a rapidly expanding digital services economy. Yet despite its economic scale, youth unemployment remains elevated. This tells us one thing clearly: growth without inclusion is not enough.”
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) rollout follows launches in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.
Opportunities are expected to come from agriculture, construction, infrastructure maintenance, cleaning and security services, ICT and business development, wholesale and retail, call centre operations, social and community services, technical trades, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.
Some economists and trade unions are concerned about the sustainability of jobs created, but the programme has set a target of 240,000 jobs in the current financial year.
About 69,000 were placed in jobs in 2025.
Picture: GPG