Ramaphosa's trillion-rand infrastructure plan amid youth unemployment crisis challenged

ActionSA has reacted to President Cyril Ramaphosa's commitment to prioritising infrastructure development and job creation through the recent allocation of over R1 trillion in the next three years.

On Wednesday, in an ambitious bid to reinvigorate South Africa's economy and address the pressing issue of youth unemployment, Ramaphosa announced his bold vision during his annual end-of-year address.

The president's address comes as the nation grapples with a youth unemployment rate exceeding 35%, amidst ongoing challenges such as gender-based violence, corruption, and rising crime rates.

However, on Thursday, ActionSA's director of communications, Matthew George, said judging from Ramaphosa's recent track record, it would be difficult to trust his bold proclamation, as in the past, nothing much has come of his lofty promises.

Despite a slight drop in South Africa's official unemployment rate to 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025 from 33.2% previously, youth unemployment remains alarmingly high.

According to Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke, young people aged 15 to 24 face the highest joblessness rate at 58.5%, followed by those aged 25 to 34 at 38.4%.

The latest figures from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey also show that black Africans continue to bear the greatest burden, with an unemployment rate of 35.8% well above the national average, while the white, Indian, and coloured populations record significantly lower rates.

"Infrastructure is one of our key priorities. We have, for the first time, budgeted more than R1 trillion for infrastructure investment over the next three years. This has catalysed the revitalisation of our country’s roads, ports, rail, energy, and water systems," Ramaphosa told South Africans.

Despite high rates of youth unemployment, gender-based violence, corruption and other challenges faced by ordinary South Africans, Ramaphosa promised a better 2026, saying South Africa is poised to overcome its many challenges.

Ramaphosa further highlighted progress in fighting corruption and crime, strengthening state institutions, advancing police reforms, and launching a national dialogue to shape the country’s future, while noting that South Africa’s global standing has been boosted through hosting the G20 and amplifying Africa’s voice.

"We enter the New Year with renewed hope, greater purpose, and even greater confidence in the potential of our great country and its people... Rooting out corruption is our overriding priority. Through the excellent work of the Special Investigating Unit, the SIU, and the Asset Forfeiture Unit, we have recovered billions of stolen money."

Regarding the record number of GBVF incidents that have dominated news headlines, the president, who recently declared GBVF a national disaster, urged South African men to respect women and girls and desist from abusing them.

This came as the recent quarter crime statistics painted a grim picture, after South Africa recorded more than 9,200 rape cases – averaging 103 women raped every day – as well as over 550 attempted sexual offences.

“I call upon the men of South Africa to respect and honour the young girls and the women of South Africa and desist from gender-based violence and femicide. To the women of our country: you are the backbone of our nation; we honour and respect you. I call upon the men of South Africa to respect and honour the young girls and the women of South Africa and desist from gender-based violence and femicide," he added.

Reacting to Ramaphosa's commitment to turning the country's economy around through the R1 trillion infrastructure investment in the next three years, George stated: "ActionSA notes the president’s commitment, but as with many lofty promises made by the president over the years, it will be judged strictly on the merits of its materialisation.

"If the past years of the president’s tenure are anything to go by, South Africans would be better served by not hanging their hopes on commitments that consistently fail to translate into action."

George indicated that the party has made it clear that, in the absence of credible and coherent economic reforms, no volume of promised investment will resolve the deep-rooted socio-economic crisis caused by the Government of National Unity’s policy incoherence and its complete lack of a plan.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za