Youth unemployment and the rising cost of tertiary education were pushed to the top of the agenda during a recent virtual “family meeting” hosted by the Politically Aweh team. South Africa’s deputy minister in the presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, engaged directly with young participants in what organisers described as an “unscripted online discussion”.
For students and recent graduates in Stellenbosch and surrounding areas, the issues discussed are not abstract policy concerns; they are immediate realities.
According to the team Politically Aweh exists “to make sense of South African and international news and politics”. The deputy minister in the presidency is responsible for supporting the presidency in coordinating government work, communicating policy and representing the government in national programmes.
This discussion comes at a time when youth unemployment in South Africa remains extremely high. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa, the youth unemployment rate for people aged 15–34 stood at 46.1% during the first quarter of 2025, with around 4.8 million young people unemployed. Among those aged 15–24, the figure is even higher to 62.4%.
A recent Honours graduate based in Stellenbosch, Natasha van Wyk, said the pressure intensifies after graduation.”There’s this expectation that once you graduate from Stellenbosch University, doors will open. But many of us are still applying intensively, doing unpaid internships, or moving back home because we can’t sustain ourselves here,” she said.
During the online engagement, the Deputy Minister Mhlauli referenced government strategies aimed at youth employment and skills development. However, many young people in the Boland expressed their concern that these programmes often focus on training without guaranteeing absorption into the job market.
Beyond unemployment, participants also raised concerns about rising tertiary education costs, an issue deeply felt in a town where accommodation, transport, and living expenses continue to climb.
“It’s not just tuition. Rent in Stellenbosch is high. Food prices continue to rise. Even if you have funding, it just doesn’t stretch far enough,” said a third year student at Stellenbosch University (SU), who previously faced registration delays due to outstanding fees and requested to stay anonymous, described the mounting pressure.
While national conversations around funding often focus on tuition, students in Stellenbosch point to the broader cost of living as a growing barrier to academic success.
During the session, Mhlauli acknowledged the financial strain on students and reiterated government commitments to improving access and opportunity. Yet for many local students, the challenge lies in navigating immediate financial pressure while waiting for long-term reform.
The virtual family meeting positioned itself as a space for unscripted dialogue and direct engagement. Zoe Human, one of the two hosts of the meeting said: “We are no longer waiting for access, we have decided to create the platform [the virtual meeting].”
The remaining key question for Stellenbosch youth during the virtual family meeting was whether national employment programmes translate into opportunities within smaller towns, or remain concentrated in metropolitan hubs like Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Beyond unemployment, participants also raised concerns about rising tertiary education costs, an issue deeply felt in a town where accommodation, transport, and living expenses continue to climb.