BRICS at 20: Why youth skills and jobs matter for South Africa
As BRICS marks two decades of cooperation, youth skills, entrepreneurship and employment are becoming central to the group’s future. For South Africa, the challenge is turning international programmes into practical opportunities for young people.
Twenty years after its inception, BRICS has transformed into a multifaceted platform for political, economic, scientific and cultural collaboration, welcoming South Africa as a member in 2011. The rise of young people as a force in the workforce, with the potential to build businesses and contribute to public life, has made youth skills and employment pivotal to BRICS' strategic agenda.
In South Africa, unemployment among the 15-34 age group stands at 5 million, with 36.4% of 15-24 year-olds neither employed nor in education. BRICS cooperation, encompassing political, economic, and people-to-people aspects, has increasingly linked youth policy to education, skills development, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro emphasized inclusive youth employment policies, digital skills, and responsible technology use.
Institutional frameworks such as the BRICS Youth Summit, Youth Council, and ministers' meetings have facilitated coordinated initiatives, moving beyond dialogue to practical cooperation. Notably, Russia launched the BRICS International School in 2017, and South Africa hosted the BRICS Youth Innovation Summit in Cape Town in 2025, focusing on AI, digital transformation, and green technologies.
As India assumes the BRICS Chairmanship, youth policy is prioritizing education, skills, entrepreneurship, science, inclusion, sustainability, and exchanges. The 2026 Youth Cooperation Framework includes youth exchanges, a Volunteer Week, leadership training, and an entrepreneurship internship in India. Entrepreneurship is seen as a direct pathway to employment, with India proposing a Startup Innovation Fund and incubator network for young entrepreneurs and startups.
For South Africa, BRICS offers opportunities for joint training, internships, research, and mentorship, particularly in digital technologies, renewable energy, and green economy sectors, aiming to connect youth programs to practical employment and entrepreneurship avenues.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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