South Africa’s largest enterprise development programme Zimele – created by mining major Anglo American – having announced previously that youth employment is a key focus area, will welcome up to 250 students who are to work on a luxury cruise liner.

Zimele, together with implementation partner specialist alternative investment manager Summit and luxury cruise line and expedition travel brand Silversea Cruises, has partnered to provide employment opportunities for up to 250 youth who are participating in the Zimele Hospitality and Tourism programme.

Zimele launched its Hospitality and Tourism programme in 2021, focusing on upskilling young people from the company's host communities in Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West.

To date, the programme has provided relevant skills training and on-the-job training support to more than 3 000 youth.

“The programme was developed with the focus on ‘future-facing’ industries as part of a demand-led approach to unlock employment opportunities,” says Anglo American Zimele head Larisha Naidoo.

She stresses that youth unemployment is one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges – an “epidemic that demands urgent, innovative solutions”.

Naidoo cites the latest data from State-owned statistics provider Statistics South Africa, which shows that the youth unemployment rate, encompassing individuals aged between 15 and 34 years, saw a marginal decline, from 45.5% to 44.6%, between the third and fourth quarter of 2024.

This figure is “staggeringly high and paints a bleak picture” for a country with a growing youth population.

“The situation is particularly dire in rural areas, where economic activities are limited and mobility is constrained, rendering opportunities virtually inaccessible.”

Further, the “experience dividend” heavily influences who gets hired, Naidoo adds.

“Youth with experience outperform their inexperienced peers by 4:1; therefore, access to the first rung on the career ladder is crucial, yet often all too elusive.

She believes that corporates have the power to create networking opportunities for youth that assist them in gaining meaningful working experience.

Urban centres tend to offer comparatively better prospects, owing to established industries and networks. In rural settings, these pathways are far less defined and often blocked by logistical and financial hurdles, she says.

Shipping Off

Silversea Cruises will employ between 180 and 250 youth from Anglo American’s host communities in various hospitality roles on board its cruise ships.

They are part of Zimele’s youth development programme, and all of them have completed training with Summit in one of the following accredited hospitality qualifications: assistant chef, housekeeping, and food and beverage management.

Naidoo highlights the programmes potential to enhance earning opportunities, provide valuable life experience, serve as a catalyst for career development, and exemplify positive role modelling within communities.

Additionally, she emphasizes the overall return on investment for the country, as youth acquire new skills and contribute to community development.

Through this programme, Zimele aims to improve the livelihoods of young South Africans by providing them with relevant skills to enable them to secure employment opportunities in the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors.

The programme also helps to facilitate recruitment and placement support into national and global companies and provides ongoing coaching and mentorship.

"This is a great milestone for the programme and an experience of a lifetime from a personal and career perspective for youth in our host communities,” says Naidoo, concluding that Zimele seeks to recruit and train a further 2 970 youths over the next four years.