With graduate unemployment remaining a major challenge in South Africa, Shonie Lesoga explores whether young people should look beyond traditional employment and use their qualifications as a foundation for entrepreneurship.
Among South Africa’s unemployed youth are university graduates who entered higher education believing that a degree would lead to better employment opportunities.
For many, however, the difficult question begins after graduation: What do I actually do with this degree?
A university qualification can improve access to opportunities, but it does not guarantee employment.
South Africa’s youth unemployment rate stood at 47.4% among people aged 15–34 in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa. Among those aged 15–24, unemployment stood at 60.9% in the first quarter of the year.
For some young people, the uncertainty begins before they even enter university.
Many students leave high school and enrol in courses they have been accepted into without fully understanding where those qualifications could take them. The pressure to obtain a degree can sometimes outweigh the need to understand the careers, industries and skills connected to it.
Essa Hassim, Secretary General of the Minara Chamber of Commerce, told One Nation Media (ONM) that young people are increasingly questioning whether traditional employment is the only route available to them.
“Young people are increasingly recognising that their qualification does not have to lead only to traditional employment. They are asking not just, ‘Who will employ me?’ but also, ‘What problem can I solve and what value can I create?’” he said.
For students with business ideas, Hassim said not having studied commerce should not prevent them from considering entrepreneurship.
He said graduates from fields such as engineering, IT, medicine, teaching, science and design may possess specialised knowledge that allows them to identify problems and opportunities within their industries.
“The commercial skills they lack can be learned. I would encourage students to validate their idea, understand their customers, learn the fundamentals of finance and business management, and surround themselves with people who have complementary skills,” he said.
“You don’t have to know everything before you start, but you must be prepared to learn.”
For some Muslim youth in South Africa, economic participation can take different forms. Some enter private enterprise, join family businesses, establish businesses of their own or gain experience through volunteering and community work.
Talha Ganie, a young entrepreneur who sells firewood from Roodepoort, believes young South Africans should consider creating their own opportunities in an economy where formal employment remains difficult to secure.
“I, as an entrepreneur who has had the experience of business ventures failing and also some that work, believe it is in the best interest of South African youth to become entrepreneurs themselves,” Ganie told ONM.
He said young people should make use of the resources available to them and be willing to learn from failure.
“While the current job availability is low, it is, in my opinion, better to fail at something than to wait for an opportunity that might never come,” he said.
Ganie also encouraged young people to start small rather than wait until they have significant financial resources.
“Not all businesses need a huge amount of capital. Get out there and learn to do something, even if it isn’t bringing in huge amounts of money,” he said.
“We should be seeking stability before seeking riches. Never shy away from learning from failures and never quit on something that you see potential in.”
He added that even volunteering can open doors.
“Even by volunteering at a business just to gain some experience, you may stumble on an opportunity to start a career,” Ganie said.
Entrepreneurship, however, does not mean abandoning education.
A university qualification can provide knowledge and transferable skills that can later be applied to running a business, marketing products, managing finances, communicating with customers or working within a particular industry.
“Students should be exposed to practical business skills regardless of what they study. This could include financial literacy, costing and pricing, marketing, taxation, intellectual property, business planning and accessing funding,” Hassim said.
He added that universities should strengthen links between students and entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, incubators and industry.
“If we want graduates to become job creators, we need to give them opportunities to experience entrepreneurship, not merely teach them about it,” he said.
Hassim also cautioned that having a business idea is only the beginning.
“One of the biggest mistakes is believing that a good idea automatically makes a good business,” he said.
“There is no shame in asking for help. In fact, knowing when you need an accountant, mentor, lawyer, marketer or experienced businessperson is itself an important entrepreneurial skill.”
For graduates, the challenge is therefore not simply finding a job, but understanding how their qualification can be applied in the wider economy.
A degree can be valuable, but obtaining one should not be the end of the conversation.
In an economy where a qualification does not automatically translate into employment, understanding what can be done with what has been learned may be just as important as choosing what to study in the first place.
As Hassim put it: “Your degree is a foundation; it does not have to be your limitation.”
