Young women in South Africa face a significant employment disadvantage, with their employment rate approximately 10 percentage points below that of young men, according to the latest Breaking Barriers report from Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator.
The report draws on data from the national Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Harambee’s income survey, real-time information from the SA Youth platform and the experiences of young people entering the workforce.
Employment barriers affect young women.
According to the report, the number of young women employed in South Africa fell by 11% between the first quarters of 2008 and 2026, representing approximately 298,000 fewer jobs.
The broad unemployment rate among young women reached 60%.
Sharmi Surianarain, Chief Impact Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, said the headline figures could give the impression that little has changed over time.
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“At the highest level, the data paints a superficial picture of stasis: women continue to lag men in overall employment, with the gender gap between male and female youth unemployment narrowing by a mere 2 percentage points over the past 18 years,” Surianarain said.
Unequal responsibility for unpaid care is identified as one of the structural factors limiting women’s participation in the labour market.
The report states that 52% of care work in South Africa is unpaid, with women spending approximately 3.8 hours per day on unpaid care compared with 1.6 hours for men.
Women who are employed in the formal economy also remain less likely to reach top management positions and face a significant earnings gap.
The report cites estimates putting South Africa’s gender pay gap between 23% and 35%, compared with a global average of approximately 20%.
Despite the challenges, the report identifies areas where women’s employment has grown faster than men’s.
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Between 2008 and 2026, employment among young women increased by 16% in business services and 30% in community services.
This compares with increases of 4% and 7%, respectively, among young men.
Traditionally male-dominated industries are also showing signs of change, with employment among young women increasing by 79% in mining and quarrying from a relatively low base of approximately 19,000 workers in 2008.
The Global Business Services sector is highlighted as an example of how inclusion can be incorporated into the design of economic growth initiatives.
“Women are still behind men in the employment stakes, trailing them in access, earnings, and stability,” Surianarain said.
The full analysis is available in Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator’s latest Breaking Barriers report, which can be found on their website or through the Harambee website.
