Context And Problem Statement
Contextual Rationale
In the first quarter of 2020, South Africa’s unemployment rate hit a record high of 30.1%
as key sectors including agriculture shed jobs, highlighting weakness in the economy even before
it was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said that it is the
first time ever that South Africa has hit the 30% mark.
This equates to 7.1 million people without jobs, up from 6.7 million at the end of 2019. Under the
expanded definition of unemployment, which includes people who have stopped looking for work, the
rate was 39.7% compared with 38.7% at the end of 2019. Pressure in the job market has also severely
affected the refugee and migrant communities. Much of the xenophobia is driven by the false notion
that foreigners (refugees and migrants) are taking jobs away from South Africans.
Problem Statement
Although South Africa is the most advanced economy in Africa it was already in recession before the
pandemic hit, and with the impacts of COVID-19 the outlook for the labour market remains gloomy, with
some of the country’s biggest employers already announcing plans to cut jobs. The impact on small and
medium businesses have been most severe, with many businesses not being able to survive the strict
government lockdown.
With not enough government support offered during the lockdown to the informal, or
unregulated, sector — which according to the World Bank provides employment to 25%-30%
of South African workers – the effect has been devastating for many. In addition,
refugees and migrants have been hardest hit as they generally work in the informal and unregulated
sectors, and many have been unable to access COVID19—related government aid.
Vision & Mission
The vision of UPSKILL AFRICA is a thriving community that has its strengths founded on diversity.
To contribute to this vision, the mission of UPSKILL AFRICA is to create safe spaces for
social engagement efforts to foster healthier relationships between African people of all races,
nationalities and ethnic groups, by bringing together local South Africans and foreign nationals
in an environment of vocational training.
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