4 September 2025 | 10:05 CAT
2-minute read

Image: Nasi Ispani

Nasi Ispani Reloaded at a Glance

📍 Province: Gauteng

💰 Budget: R50 million

👩🏽‍🎓 Target group: Unemployed youth (ages 18–35)

🎯 Goal: Provide trade skills and short-term job placements in state-linked projects

🛠️ Skills offered:

• Plumbing
• Carpentry
• Upholstery
• Other technical trades

📊 Opportunities available (2024/25): 45 000 placements

📂 Recruitment process:

• Database of past applicants from 2023 launch
• Walk-in opportunities for youth displaying their trade skills informally
• Training to sharpen skills before placement

📈 Long-term aim: Expand funding to reach more young people and reduce Gauteng’s high youth unemployment rate.

The Gauteng provincial government has relaunched its flagship youth employment programme, Nasi Ispani Reloaded, with a R50 million budget aimed at providing unemployed youth with trade skills and job opportunities. Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced the initiative this week, highlighting it as a direct intervention in the province’s unemployment crisis.

Youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges. According to Statistics South Africa, the official unemployment rate stood at 31,9% in the second quarter of 2024, with youth (15–34 years) accounting for the largest proportion. Gauteng, as the country’s economic hub, continues to attract jobseekers nationwide, compounding competition for limited opportunities.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Gauteng provincial government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga explained the motivation behind the programme.

“Nasi Ispani is an important initiative created by the provincial government in Gauteng to give opportunities to young people who are desperate for employment,” he said.

The programme offers pathways into trades such as plumbing, carpentry and upholstery. First launched in 2023, it has now been expanded into a second phase to accommodate more applicants.

“We have opportunities for 45 000 because of the funding that we have. We can only accommodate 45 000, but we’ll keep asking for more money because there are more young people who should be given an opportunity,” Mhlanga said.

Critics, including opposition parties, have questioned whether the scheme is politically motivated, suggesting it could be an election ploy for the ANC. Mhlanga dismissed these claims, pointing out the urgency of tackling unemployment regardless of political timing.

“If research and reality tells us that unemployment is a problem, you can’t sit and do nothing because you fear political parties who are going to accuse you of electioneering,” he stated.

In addition to Nasi Ispani Reloaded, the provincial executive council also addressed the findings of the Usindiso Commission of Inquiry into the 2023 Johannesburg inner-city fire, which killed 77 people. The commission flagged unsafe living conditions in hijacked buildings and recommended a review of the city’s inner-city housing policy to ensure safety and proper maintenance.

The council further announced the creation of a dedicated task team to investigate political killings in Gauteng, a growing concern at both municipal and provincial levels. Infrastructure upgrades in preparation for the upcoming G20 summit, as well as the reopening of Lilian Ngoyi Road in Johannesburg’s CBD, were also highlighted as key achievements.

While questions remain about scalability and long-term sustainability, Nasi Ispani Reloaded represents a renewed attempt by Gauteng to address the structural unemployment crisis. For thousands of young people, it offers a lifeline in an economy where opportunities are scarce, and hope is often in short supply.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Habib Bobat.