South Africa’s unemployment crisis is deepening, with the official unemployment rate climbing to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 32.7% in the first quarter. That means another
345,000 people have joined the ranks of the unemployed, taking the total number of unemployed South Africans to about 8.5 million. And behind these numbers are people who are looking for work,
graduates struggling to get their first opportunity, parents trying to provide for their families and young people questioning whether the economy has a place for them. Employment actually declined
slightly during the quarter, while more people entered the labour market looking for opportunities.
So what is driving this persistent jobs crisis? Why are we struggling to create employment at the scale needed — and what needs to change if South Africa is to get millions of people into work?

South Africa&rsquo;s unemployment crisis is deepening, with the official&nbsp;unemployment rate climbing to 33.6% in the second quarter of&nbsp;2026, up from 32.7% in the first quarter. That means another 345,000 people have joined the ranks of the unemployed, taking&nbsp;the total number of unemployed South Africans to about 8.5 million.&nbsp;And behind these numbers are people who are looking for work, graduates struggling to get their first opportunity, parents trying to&nbsp;provide for their families and young people questioning whether the&nbsp;economy has a place for them. Employment actually declined slightly during the quarter, while more people entered the labour&nbsp;market looking for opportunities. So what is driving this persistent jobs crisis? Why are we struggling&nbsp;to create employment at the scale needed &mdash; and what needs to&nbsp;change if South Africa is to get millions of people into work?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

SA Unemployment Crisis Deepens as Jobless Rate Climbs to 33.6%

JMPD has issued a warning to people urinating in public, saying those caught could face fines, arrest and even criminal prosecution. It’s a problem we see in many of our cities — on pavements, next to buildings, around transport hubs and in other public spaces. But beyond the embarrassment, the smell and the frustration of seeing someone relieve themselves in public, perhaps there’s a more uncomfortable conversation we need to have. What does our willingness to urinate in a public space say about our sense of right and wrong? Is it simply a practical decision by someone who needs a toilet and cannot find one? Is it a failure by municipalities to provide enough clean, accessible public facilities? Or, in some cases, is it a question of morality — of whether we still feel a responsibility to respect spaces that belong to all of us? Because perhaps the real issue isn't just whether someone
breaks a by-law. It's whether we have reached a point where we only do the right thing when we know someone is watching. And if the answer is yes, can a fine or a CCTV camera really change our behaviour — or does meaningful change have to come from something deeper? We’re reflecting on public urination, personal responsibility, dignity and the moral choices we make in shared spaces with
Dalu Cele, Founder and CEO of Clean City SA.

JMPD has issued a warning to people urinating in public,&nbsp;saying those caught could face fines, arrest and even criminal&nbsp;prosecution. It&rsquo;s a problem we see in many of our cities &mdash; on&nbsp;pavements, next to buildings, around transport hubs and in&nbsp;other public spaces.&nbsp;But beyond the embarrassment, the smell and the frustration of&nbsp;seeing someone relieve themselves in public, perhaps there&rsquo;s a&nbsp;more uncomfortable conversation we need to have.&nbsp;What does our willingness to urinate in a public space say&nbsp;about our sense of right and wrong?&nbsp;Is it simply a practical decision by someone who needs a toilet&nbsp;and cannot find one? Is it a failure by municipalities to provide&nbsp;enough clean, accessible public facilities? Or, in some cases, is&nbsp;it a question of morality &mdash; of whether we still feel a&nbsp;responsibility to respect spaces that belong to all of us?&nbsp;Because perhaps the real issue isn't just whether someone breaks a by-law. It's whether we have reached a point where we&nbsp;only do the right thing when we know someone is watching.&nbsp;And if the answer is yes, can a fine or a CCTV camera really change our behaviour &mdash; or does meaningful change have to&nbsp;come from something deeper? We&rsquo;re reflecting on public urination, personal responsibility,&nbsp;dignity and the moral choices we make in shared spaces with Dalu Cele, Founder and CEO of Clean City SA.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: PUBLIC URINATION: WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT US?

GBVF doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Behind many cases are people who knew something was wrong but chose to remain silent; friends who looked the other way, men who refused to challenge other men, women who sometimes protect abusive partners, and institutions that fail victims when they need help most. We often ask why perpetrators continue to abuse — but perhaps we also need to ask what happens around them that allows that abuse to continue. If we all say we are against gender-based violence, why do we so often remain silent when we see it happening?

GBVF doesn&rsquo;t happen in a vacuum. Behind many cases are&nbsp;people who knew something was wrong but chose to remain&nbsp;silent; friends who looked the other way, men who refused to&nbsp;challenge other men, women who sometimes protect abusive&nbsp;partners, and institutions that fail victims when they need help&nbsp;most. We often ask why perpetrators continue to abuse &mdash; but&nbsp;perhaps we also need to ask what happens around them that&nbsp;allows that abuse to continue. If we all say we are against gender-based violence, why do we so often remain silent when&nbsp;we see it happening?

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: THE SILENT VOICES THAT FAIL WOMEN: WHY DO WE KEEP  LOOKING AWAY FROM GBVF?

The EFF has entered the race for Johannesburg with a candidate who comes from outside traditional party politics. Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng has been announced as the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Gold, following the EFF’s manifesto launch in Thohoyandou over the weekend. Mofokeng is a medical doctor and prominent public-health advocate, who has worked extensively on HIV and AIDS,
neonatal health, gender equality and the right to health. She also recently completed her term as the first African to serve as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. Now she is making the move into active politics — and into one of the country’s biggest political battles. She will go up against candidates including Helen Zille of the DA and Herman Mashaba of ActionSA, while the ANC is yet to
announce its candidate. Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng joins us in studio to unpack her decision to enter politics, her vision for Johannesburg and why she believes she is the right person to lead the city.

The EFF has entered the race for Johannesburg with a&nbsp;candidate who comes from outside traditional party politics. Dr&nbsp;Tlaleng Mofokeng has been announced as the party&rsquo;s mayoral&nbsp;candidate for the City of Gold, following the EFF&rsquo;s manifesto&nbsp;launch in Thohoyandou over the weekend.&nbsp;Mofokeng is a medical doctor and prominent public-health&nbsp;advocate, who has worked extensively on HIV and AIDS, neonatal health, gender equality and the right to health. She&nbsp;also recently completed her term as the first African to serve as&nbsp;the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.&nbsp;Now she is making the move into active politics &mdash; and into one&nbsp;of the country&rsquo;s biggest political battles.&nbsp;She will go up against candidates including Helen Zille of the&nbsp;DA and Herman Mashaba of ActionSA, while the ANC is yet to announce its candidate.&nbsp;Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng joins us in studio to unpack her decision&nbsp;to enter politics, her vision for Johannesburg and why she&nbsp;believes she is the right person to lead the city.

SA Unemployment Crisis Deepens as Jobless Rate Climbs to 33.6%

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