Political scientist Thabiso Maphosa critiques the Government of National Unity’s investment conferences as empty gestures, following a rise in unemployment from 31.9% to 32.9%. StatsSA’s latest data reveals 291,000 job losses and 532,000 new entrants into the workforce, pushing jobless numbers to 8.2 million. Youth are hardest hit, with unemployment among 15–34-year-olds surging to 46.1%. Unions, including SAFTU, demand urgent economic reform to address the growing crisis.