While the youth unemployment stats in our country may be staggering – and there are many challenges, YES reminds us that these challenges are not insurmountable.

The work being done by YES is very important in creating sustainable work opportunities for unemployed youth.

The YES initiative is one of the most hopeful, impactful and necessary interventions in our country. We are proud to be partners with this powerful programme and we hope that the programme will grow from strength to strength and fulfill its mission.

I love seeing the authenticity in the way the YES programme cares about the youth of South Africa.

Aligned to Nedbank’s purpose of using our financial expertise to do good, we are proud to play our part in giving young people hope and a sense of agency in the context of extremely high levels of unemployment. The most inspiring part of this journey has been witnessing the recruits grow and excel within their roles and the change they are leading in their communities.

I’m proud of what we have achieved so far through YES and via our partners, the Sabi Sands Pfuanani Trust, Care for Wild and Good Work Foundation, but this is a crisis we can only solve through collaboration. I’m therefore calling on other corporates and businesses to join us in broadening this initiative and giving deserving young people that all important first chance.

It’s very heart-warming to hear the [youths’]Please stories, and it gives me great confidence in the country. Toyota SA expresses its deep gratitude to the YES programme.

The Shoprite Group was a first responder to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to the nation to support the YES initiative and has been the highest-impact employment creator through the YES programme to date. We are fully aligned and committed to the President’s vision encapsulated in the YES programme.

We are partnering with YES to empower our young people with relevant skills to thrive in the digital economy.

We believe that the learning experience these youth will gain through the cooperation with YES, is fully in line with our company’s philosophy of being “A Great Place to Grow