It is understood that the food outlet will open soon and only about 20 people will be hired. 

On the day the outlet was accepting applications, Tuesday 21 March 2023, a long queue of people could be seen. Some of the community members took to social media to air their grievances about how unemployment has affected the people of the country.

The MEC of Finance, Gadija Brown, recently stated during her budget speech that there has been an increase in the province’s unemployment rate to 34.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022, from 33.8%. She explained that women and the growing youth population bear the brunt of the high unemployment rate in the province. 

According to the recent Statistics SA report, women and youth (for ages 15 to 34 years) unemployment rates rose to 39.1% and 47.1% respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2022. Interpretively, out of the economically active (working) population of about 1.21 million people in the province, about 332 000 women and 275 000 youth were employed in the fourth quarter of 2022.

ALSO READ: Hundreds flock to Bloemfontein mall for employment

Recently, scores of unemployed people flocked to the Lemo Mall's Ackermans store in Bloemfontein, hoping to be employed. This comes after the store posted job vacancies at the soon-to-be-opened branch on the mall's website. Centre manager of the mall, Tsediso Kabi, said they are in no position to share how many people might be employed as it is only the store that is able to comment. He said the massive crowd solidifies the fact that the country's unemployment rate is very high and people are desperate to make a living for themselves.

ALSO READ: Free State government continues to fight unemployment

The Free State premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, said during his State of the Province Address (Sopa) that 50 000 job opportunities were created across the three spheres of government, thereby exceeding their commitment in 2022. Of this number, the Community Works Programme contributed 26 871 job opportunities. “The composition of the participants of these job opportunities is aligned to our stated priorities of designated groups as 36 839 beneficiaries were women whilst 17 197 were youth and 407 were persons with disabilities,” explained Dukwana.

Outlining the plans he has for the province, Dukwana stated that one of the key drivers of economic growth and job creation is the province’s Small and Medium Enterprises. In the current financial year, 869 enterprises were provided with financial and non-financial support, of which 472 were youth-owned. The Free State Development Corporation provided financial support to 24 Small and Medium Enterprises, including 8 youth-owned Contractor Development Programme businesses. “We will undertake a substantial review of the current state of our public entities and reposition them to be proactive and responsive to the investment and development needs of the Free State economy.”

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