Presidential Employment Stimulus
The Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) was launched as part of government’s response to the pandemic, but its success in enabling employment creation continues to benefit many.
More than 1.5 million work and livelihood support opportunities for unemployed South Africans have been created through the initiative since October 2020.
Of the participants, 83% are youth and 66% are women.
The employment stimulus has enabled the most rapid expansion of public employment in South Africa’s history, by supporting programmes that could scale up within a matter of months to provide work to those who need it.
‘We needed the Employment Stimulus as part of our response to the pandemic – and we still need it now, not as an alternative to market-based recovery, but as a contribution to it.
‘The bottom line is that through the Stimulus, we have unlocked energy, commitment, creativity, innovation – and opportunities. In the process, we are building a society that works. That is indeed our challenge and our goal.’
President Cyril Ramaphosa
