Despite acquiring education, many young South Africans are struggling to secure employment, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

“Our youth has responded positively to our promotion of education. They continue to flock to higher education institutions each year, seeking education. However, another problem still remains,” Zuma told thousands of people, gathered at the annual National Youth Day commemorations in Pretoria.

“The economy is not growing as fast as we want and is not creating as many jobs as we need. As a result, many of our graduates sit at home without jobs.”

Zuma called on the private sector to increase youth employment through taking young people for internships and apprentices in line with South Africa’s youth employment accord.

“We have to work together to provide opportunities for the youth, who are the future of our country. Government cannot perform this task alone. We thank all businesses that continue to employ young people and offer opportunities to them,” he said.

“We are also encouraging young people to become entrepreneurs. The Industrial Development Corporation in partnership with the NYDA and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) have ring-fenced R2.7-billion over the next five years for young people to take up opportunities in business.”

He said in the last financial year, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) supported 1 043 micro and small youth owned enterprises.

“Furthermore, the NYDA has provided non-financial business development support to 62 990 young aspiring and established entrepreneurs,” Zuma said.

Earlier, African National Congress MP and anti-apartheid veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said the hopes of South Africa’s future development lies in its youth.

“Today we remember abantwana base (children of) 1976 who gave us this freedom we have. To be here, marking this day is very touching for me,” Madikizela-Mandela told reporters as she arrived for the annual commemorations.

“This is quite a celebration. Youth are the future of this country so it is important for us to give them hope. We look forward to them taking over the mettle.”

Held under the theme “Youth Moving South Africa Forward”, this year’s commemoration marks 39 years since the 16 June 1976 uprisings.

On this day, in 1976, a group of school children set off from Morris Isaacson High School in Orlando, Soweto, to protest over Afrikaans being the medium of instruction, among other grievances against the apartheid government.

There was a standoff with police, who opened fire on the children. The township was sealed off and attacks on government buildings followed; as well as the flight of many youths and political leaders into exile. This day is now commemorated as Youth Day.