Unemployment remains the greatest obstacle to enjoyment of this right. Although it improvement slightly from 32,9% in early 2025 to 31,4% by the end of 2025, it remain very high.

Youth unemployment is at crisis levels with young people repeatedly hit the hardest with unemployment: More than half of those aged 15 to 24 were unemployed. Nearly 40% of those aged 25 to 34 remain without work.

This locks young people out of the formal economy and limits their future prospects severely.

A Path Forward: Foundation Recommendations

To expand access to work and economic opportunity, the Foundation recommends, among others, the following: Expand Technical and Vocational Education and Training (“TVET”) and link it to paid apprenticeships and internships. Deregulate micro-enterprise zones in township areas to allow young people to start businesses with fewer compliance burdens, encouraging formalisation and job creation. Invest in long-term initiatives that will provide the youth with viable career pathways, not only in trade and industry, but also in emerging sectors such as technology, green energy and innovation. Align education to economic demands. Offer firms tax credits for hiring people under 30. Merge fragmented youth‑employment programmes into one vehicle with clear performance targets. Roll out rental subsidies, or low‑deposit loan guarantees, to help young workers move to where jobs are. Pilot income‑linked education bonds.

Conclusion

The Constitution promises freedom of economic choice. For most South Africans, this freedom remains out of reach. While policy reforms may promote fairness, they cannot substitute for the one ingredient the country needs most: strong, sustained economic growth that creates jobs. Unless this changes, the gap between constitutional promise and lived reality will continue to widen.