Labour minister signs contracts worth more than R651m to create jobs

In an effort to tackle South Africa’s high unemployment rate, Department of Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth signed contracts with 12 partner organisations from the Labour Activation Programme (LAP) in Western Cape on Thursday.

The LAP is the department’s job creation initiative.

“LAP partners in the Western Cape will each sign a pledge committing to the absorption of more than 17 000 jobseekers in key sectors of the economy including retail, customer service, hospitality, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, transportation, food delivery, mining, and information communication and technology.”

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Over R651 million in funding

Speaking to the media in Khayelitsha, Meth said the agreements show government’s commitment to create jobs.

“Nationally, we aim to create over 350 000 jobs across all nine provinces, and I am proud to announce that to date, we have formalised 29 partnership agreements, benefiting over 107 764 individuals,” she added.

Furthermore, the entities are set to receive a collective amount of more than R651 million in funding, creating more than 17 000 jobs.

“These opportunities are expected to be created in the province over the next few months,” said the ministry.

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12 LAP partners

Meth explained that her department will work together with the 12 entities to track progress, identify challenges and find solutions.

These are the 12 LAP partners:

• Caliber Solutions: will empower aspiring professionals in retail and management.
• CAPE BPO: focuses on customer service, creating pathways for our youth in the thriving BPO sector.
• Damascus Holdings: brings training excellence in hospitality, upskilling hundreds of potential cooks, waitstaff, and hotel managers.
• Elgin Community College: a beacon of hope in the Overberg Region, will reach over 3 600 beneficiaries through agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing programmes.
• FurnTech: will elevate furniture manufacturing — combining craftsmanship with innovation.
• Green Riders: pioneers of e-mobility solutions, showcasing how environmental responsibility can spark job creation.
• House of Boniwe: a 100% black female-owned enterprise, demonstrates the power of inclusive, strategic project delivery in agriculture, construction and ICT.
• Khaulele Holdings and Misuyolo: will harness technology, agri-tourism, and manufacturing to transform local economies.
• Skills Credit and Taking Care of Business: uplift communities through technical, entrepreneurial, and circular economy initiatives.
• Tourism & Business Institute: will shape a new generation of tourism and hospitality experts, driving forward one of our country’s most promising industries.

“This approach underscores our broader strategy to align the Labour Activation Programme with national policy frameworks — from the National Development Plan to other inter-departmental collaborations.

“Prioritising synergy across government, private enterprises, and civil society, we will ensure a unified, impactful approach to job creation and social upliftment,” said Meth.

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