DJ Zinhle has issued an apology following backlash over her comments about youth unemployment in South Africa. A clip from her interview on Radio 702 recently went viral on social media, where she remarked, “One thing about the South African youth is not just that they are unemployed, a lot of them are unemployable. They don’t have the skills required. It bugs me how long it takes for us to fill positions at Era. Just to find the right person for our shops. It takes longer than it should in a country that has so much unemployment.”
The entrepreneur, who operates six shops in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo, faced criticism, with many interpreting her comments as suggesting that South African youth are lazy.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Zinhle clarified her stance and apologised to those offended. She wrote, “I apologise if I offended anyone. I wasn’t attacking the youth. As a small-business owner, I employ and train people, but this doesn’t start to solve the problems we face as South African youth.”
Zinhle continued, “I could do more with support from the government. How do we upskill our youth so they are ready for employment? Are we in denial that we are not getting the jobs we want because we do not have the skills required? Are we in denial that not all people are getting the education they need to be employable?”
Addressing critics, she said, “You guys are speaking from a one-sided view of graduates who have matric, a diploma, and so on and can’t get jobs. I’m not saying they don’t need assistance, they do, but we need to think about the youth holistically so we can challenge the people in power. This is not because they are lazy, it is because there are no opportunities. I hope you forgive me for offending you, but this was not my intention. I will continue with my small businesses to do my part in training and upskilling the youth where I can.”
Reactions on X were mixed. One user defended her, stating, “You don’t need to apologise – everything you said is true. Hiring South African youth is challenging, and one of the contributing factors is their attitude. We have a serious problem with readiness and willingness to learn.”
Another user offered a different perspective, noting, “Our education system renders everyone unemployable until we can demonstrate employability when we have passed the probationary period. The onus is on employers to provide on-the-job specific training during probation, as well as continuous development during employment.”
Amid the debate, one commenter highlighted the disparity, saying, “We have unemployed engineers and doctors in this country. There is no way we can struggle to fill retail vacancies. By the way, we have overqualified people working in retail.”
The conversation around Zinhle’s comments has sparked broader discussions about the state of education and employment in South Africa, highlighting the complex challenges faced by the nation’s youth.
Maybe another thing I need to explain is that I was not saying that the youth is lazy, not at all.
I was saying that we don’t have the skills we need because we don’t have the opportunities we need to learn the skills.
Education isn’t accessible to all, that’s not because…
— #ERAbyDJZinhle #ZeeNation (@DJZinhle) May 19, 2024An offensive approach isn’t the way here.
I apologize if my statement seemed offensive but to answer your question..
Retail is a profession that requires skills,I think you’re offending retal assistants here by assuming that their job doesn’t require any skill or education.… https://t.co/KsA1yBmYhL
— #ERAbyDJZinhle #ZeeNation (@DJZinhle) May 19, 2024All I’m saying is, as much as you are ready with a diploma & experience, a large population of the youth don’t have access to education and training which unfortunately makes them unemployable..
This is NOT because they are lazy, it is because there are no opportunities in this…
— #ERAbyDJZinhle #ZeeNation (@DJZinhle) May 19, 2024You don't need to apologize – everything you said is true. This issue has been a topic of discussion in the market. Hiring South African youth is challenging, and one of the contributing factors is their attitude. We have a serious problem with readiness and willingness to learn.
— Salix Recruitment (@SalixRecruit) May 19, 2024Hello DJ Zinhle,
Our education system renders everyone unemployable until we can demonstrate employability when we have passed the probationary period, and the onus on every employer in the various sectors is to provide on the job specific training during probation, as well as…
— Vimlesh Rajbansi (@VimleshRajbansi) May 19, 2024
