The South African province where only 3 out of 10 working-age people have jobs

The latest Statistics South Africa data shows that the North West province is experiencing an unemployment crisis.

The province’s official unemployment rate has increased from 35.3% to 38.1% in three months, well above the national rate of 33.6%.

However, this does not tell the real story. The province’s combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force is 56.0%.

This is the highest of any province in South Africa, and increased from 54.8% to 56% over the last three months.

Even more concerning is that only 30.6% of working-age people in the North West province are employed.

Simply put, only three out of every ten working-age people in this South African province have jobs.

The unemployment rate reached these extreme levels despite numerous government interventions and strategies aimed at creating jobs.

These interventions include recovery plans, investment conferences, job summits, strategies, and promises.

What is particularly concerning is that the North West province has some of South Africa’s best natural resources.

It is blessed with rich mineral deposits, a strong mining sector, an advanced agriculture industry, tourism, and strategic transport routes.

This raises the question of why this province failed to create employment for most of its working-age population.

Freddy Sonakile, a member of the North West Provincial Legislature, said that part of the problem is the poor state of towns and municipalities.

“Businesses cannot thrive where roads are collapsing, water and electricity are unreliable, and basic services fail,” he said.

He added that, across the province, municipal administrations struggle to perform their most basic functions.

“Municipalities should be engines of local economic development. Too many in the North West have instead become obstacles to it,” he said.

Sonakile said that the North West province does not need another jobs summit or glossy economic strategy to resolve its unemployment crisis.

“Instead, it needs municipalities that work, an economy that grows, and a government where the measure of an economic plan is whether people can find work,” he said.