Youth unemployment as a developmental problem in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate youth unemployment as a developmental problem in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. This study focused on the impacts of youth unemployment on development in the Vhembe District with the intention that addressing these challenges can lead to poverty reduction and promote development in the region. South Africa has been facing the problem of unemployment for so many years. The problem has escalated in the country due to various factors, such as - the emergence of Covid 19, lack of skills, limited access to education and training, and lack of job opportunities. Youth unemployment has amplified poverty levels and social disintegration, which, in turn, has had a significant impact on the country’s economy as it has hindered the country’s development. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended possible solutions to address unemployment in both the Vhembe region, and the country as a whole. The study used a mixed research method, thus, a descriptive design (quantitative approach) and an explorative design (qualitative approach), which helped to compare and collaborate the research results. The research makes use of a pragmatic research paradigm to investigate youth unemployment in Vhembe District and utilises non-probability and purposive sampling for appropriate sample collection. The study used two methods of data collection, namely, questionnaires and interviews. In terms of data analysis, the study adopted descriptive analysis to analyse questionnaires using International Business Machinery (IBM): Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 28.0 and presents information using pictures, graphs, tables, and numbers. For the qualitative aspect, a thematic analysis was applied to the data collected through interviews and presentation of the results is in the form of words.