South Africa’s latest unemployment figures are out, and unfortunately, the picture has gotten worse. The official unemployment rate has risen to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 32.7% in the previous quarter.

That means around 8.5 million South Africans are officially unemployed, while the number of employed people has fallen to 16.7 million.

And it’s young people who continue to be the hardest hit.