At a time when almost one in two young South Africans aged 15\u201334 in the labour market is unemployed, McDonald\u2019s South Africa, in partnership with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA), is taking another deliberate step to help young people move from
\nlearning into the world of work, announcing the recruitment of 2,370 young people into its
\nnext Hospitality Learnership Programme.
\nThe announcement builds on more than 1,000 young people already trained through the programme and reflects a shared commitment to giving young people practical skills, workplace experience and meaningful pathways into employment.
\nThe latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey figures paint a stark picture. According to Statistics South Africa, the national unemployment rate increased to 33.6% in the second
\nquarter of 2026. However, for young people aged 15 to 24, that figure climbs to a staggering 60.9%.
\nBehind these numbers are young South Africans ready to contribute, earn an income,
\nsupport their families and build independent lives, but who too often struggle to secure the
\nworkplace experience required to get their first job.
\n\u201cWe cannot look at the youth unemployment numbers and simply accept them as the reality
\nof our country. Behind every statistic is a young person with a dream, a family, a talent and a
\nfuture they are trying to build,\u201d says Dr Mamello Masia, Chief People Officer at McDonald\u2019s
\nSouth Africa. \u201cThis programme is about creating a practical bridge between learning and the
\nworld of work, giving young people an opportunity to develop their skills, gain experience
\nand take their first steps towards a career.\u201d
\nThe expanded partnership will provide 2,370 young people with a combination of classroom-
\nbased and on-the-job training. Learners will develop practical and transferable skills across
\nareas including occupational health, safety and security, business communication, business
\nfinance and restaurant operations.
\nTraining is supported by McDonald\u2019s South Africa\u2019s Hamburger University, the company\u2019s
\ndedicated training centre and a global centre of excellence for restaurant operations.
\nLearners will be exposed to the principles of quality, service, cleanliness and value,
\ncapabilities that are relevant across the broader hospitality sector.
\nThe programme has already demonstrated the potential of learnerships to become a bridge
\nto employment. Of the 1,400 learners in the first cohort of the 2024\/2025 programme, 476<\/p>\n
were permanently absorbed into McDonald\u2019s South Africa. Among those who have moved
\non from the programme, more than 75% are now employed full-time in the industry, while a
\nfurther 1.5% have started their own businesses.
\nThese outcomes demonstrate the potential for learnerships to create pathways that extend
\nbeyond programme completion into permanent employment, broader industry opportunities
\nand entrepreneurship.
\n\u201cWe believe a learnership should be more than a certificate at the end of a programme. It
\nshould be a stepping stone into a career,\u201d says Masia. \u201cOur ambition is to give these young
\npeople the skills, experience and exposure that can strengthen their employability and create
\npathways into full-time employment, whether that is with McDonald\u2019s or elsewhere in the
\neconomy.\u201d
\nThe scale of the new intake also reflects the demand for opportunity among young South
\nAfricans. Previous recruitment efforts attracted thousands of applications, including from
\ngraduates, highlighting the persistent gap between education, workplace experience and
\nemployment.
\nFor CATHSSETA, the partnership demonstrates the importance of bringing employers and
\nskills-development institutions together to respond to labour-market realities.
\n\u201cThe scale of youth unemployment requires us to move beyond good intentions and into
\ninterventions that produce meaningful outcomes,\u201d says Marks Thibela, CEO of
\nCATHSSETA. \u201cYoung people need opportunities to acquire skills, gain workplace experience
\nand demonstrate their potential. This partnership is an example of what can happen when
\nthe public and private sectors work together around a shared responsibility for the future of
\nSouth Africa\u2019s youth.\u201d
\nThe initiative was designed with employment outcomes in mind, combining structured
\nlearning with workplace training in McDonald\u2019s South Africa operations.
\n\u201cFor us, the measure of success is not simply how many young people complete a
\nlearnership, but what happens next. We want learners to leave with skills that are recognised
\nby industry, workplace experience that strengthens their employability and a genuine
\npathway into employment,\u201d Thibela said. \u201cThe commitment to absorb successful learners
\ndemonstrates what is possible when employers take an active role in shaping and creating
\nopportunities within the skills development system.\u201d
\nThe partnership reinforces CATHSSETA\u2019s commitment to ensuring that skills-development
\nprogrammes respond to industry needs while creating meaningful opportunities for
\nunemployed youth to enter and participate in the labour market.
\nCommenting at the ceremony, Buti Manamela, Minister of Higher Education and Training
\nsaid \u201cThis partnership between CATHSSETA and McDonald\u2019s South Africa is reminiscent the
\nskills revolution we are driving as government. We are investing in our TVET colleges,
\nexpanding learnerships, internships and work-integrated learning, but we cannot do this
\nalone. The skills revolution requires a business to come on board as McDonald\u2019s has as an
\nemployer opening their workplaces to young people so that they can gain the practical
\nexperience they need to enter the world of work. Our objective is clear: to ensure that the<\/p>\n
skills and qualifications young people receive translate into real opportunities and meaningful
\nparticipation in the economy.\u201d
\nSouth Africa has increasingly recognised that addressing youth unemployment requires
\ncoordinated action across government, business and civil society. With 2026 declared the
\nYear of Putting Young South Africans to Work, national efforts are increasingly focused on
\ncreating pathways from learning to earning.
\n\u201cGovernment cannot do this alone. Business cannot do it alone. And young people certainly
\nshould not have to carry the burden of unemployment alone,\u201d says Masia. \u201cThe private
\nsector has an important role to play in creating opportunities where young people can learn,
\ngrow, gain experience and prove themselves.\u201d
\nThe next 2,370 learners will join the growing number of young South Africans who have
\ngained industry experience through the programme, Masia concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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