{
  "id": 886598,
  "title": "Reforming the EPWP: How the SA Youth Mobi platform aims to improve job opportunities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/reforming-the-epwp-how-the-sa-youth-mobi-platform-aims-to-improve-job",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T16:16:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/2026-08-14-reforming-the-epwp-how-the-sa-youth-mobi-platform-aims-to-improve-job-opportunities/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) recruitment process is set to be managed through the SA Youth Mobi digital platform, according to Parliament's announcement on Friday. Chairperson Rikus Badenhorst of the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and Minister in the Presidency, Dean Macpherson, highlighted the need for reform in the EPWP due to persistent allegations of political gatekeeping, patronage, and abuse. Macpherson's nationwide EPWP listening tours revealed these concerns directly, prompting the decision to digitize the recruitment process. This shift aims to eliminate the influence of politically connected individuals in deciding job opportunities. The SA Youth Mobi platform is zero-rated, meaning unemployed young people can access it without incurring airtime or data costs, addressing the barrier of financial barriers to job searching in South Africa. Badenhorst emphasized that EPWP must evolve from a short-term, temporary work programme to a longer-duration initiative with practical experience in infrastructure repair, mentorship, training, certification, and pathways towards recognized occupational opportunities, ultimately leading to permanent employment. The reform aims to improve people's prospects rather than merely increasing participation statistics. The government's reform of public employment programmes will be evaluated based on results, not merely participation. In March 2026, the DPWI reported that the EPWP suffered from non-transparent recruitment, inadequate verification, and administrative weaknesses, facilitating manipulation, patronage, and theft by ward councillors controlling beneficiary lists.",
  "summary": "Rikus Badenhorst reveals how the SA Youth Mobi platform will revolutionise the recruitment process for the Expanded Public Works Programme, aiming to eliminate corruption and enhance job opportunities for South Africans.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}