DA cites plan to slash Limpopo’s growing unemployment
The province's expanded unemployment remained at a devastating 46.7%, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics SA.
The DA party in Limpopo has unveiled a plan to generate quality employment opportunities and stimulate the province's economic growth if they are granted the opportunity to govern following the upcoming November elections. Currently, Limpopo's official unemployment rate stands at 32%, which has risen from 31.7% in the final quarter of the 2025-26 financial year.
Expanded unemployment, as reported by Statistics SA in the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, remains alarmingly high at 46.7%. This rate is flagged by Stats SA as one of the provinces with a gap between official and expanded unemployment surpassing 14 percentage points. Statistics SA data shows that Limpopo's official unemployment rate increased from 31.7% in the first quarter of 2026 to 32% in the second quarter, a significant jump compared to the 28.2% recorded in the last quarter of 2025.
Lindy Wilson, a DA member of the Limpopo provincial legislature, expressed concern over the high expanded unemployment rate of 46.7%, implying that nearly half of Limpopo's extended labor force is jobless. She lamented the exodus of Limpopo residents in search of opportunities they cannot find locally, stating that this is not acceptable in a province endowed with agricultural potential, mineral resources, tourism assets, and a strategic location as South Africa's northern gateway.
Wilson argued that while municipalities cannot create every job, they can either foster economic growth or hinder it. She highlighted that businesses would find it challenging to invest and expand when facing unreliable water and electricity supply, deteriorating roads and other infrastructure, mismanaged municipal finances, and bureaucratic hurdles.
During her state of the province address earlier this year, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba voiced dissatisfaction with the rising unemployment rates across various sectors within Limpopo, despite the province's contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) increasing from 7.2% to 7.7%.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
