Problems Of The Youth: The Effects of Unemployment Among Youth in the Society of South Africans Read more: The Effects of Unemployment Among Youth in the Society of South Africans

Wherever there is unemployment, crime is almost certain to follow. This is referred to as the poverty cycle, where people with no jobs and no potential for employment turn to illegal methods to gain money and to survive. According to the South African Police Service, 2010 was the first year the annual murder rate in the country fell below 17,000 since the end of apartheid. This figure demonstrates the huge problems South Africa has with gang-related and organized crime. This is an economic problem as it is expensive to solve the problem and clean up the mess left behind by criminals.

A major issue facing South Africa is the bad reputation it has received from tourists because of the high crime rate. In the buildup to the 2010 World Cup, hosted in South Africa, soccer fans traveling to the country were warned about the threats they would face from hijackings, muggings and more serious crime. Many countries, like South Africa, rely on tourism to bring in foreign money, and if this reputation of violence continues, a drop of in tourism is inevitable.

Although there is a welfare state in South Africa, aimed at helping the poor and unemployed survive and find work, it is not up to an American standard. The major problem with regard to cost in this area is getting younger people into work. Not only do jobs need to be created, through infrastructure investment, but the education system also needs to be improved to ensure there are people in the country capable of performing these jobs.

Youth unemployment in South Africa has been a long-running problem. During the 1970s and 1980s, a lot of this was attributed to dissolution with a government oppressing black people in the country. The problem here is that since the end of apartheid, the statistics have not improved. In 2004, 10 years after the end of apartheid, 70 percent of the unemployed in South Africa were in the 15 to 34 age bracket. This shows the economic problem here is not the legacy of racism, but something more fundamental in the education and labor markets.

The greatest threats to the youth of South Africa are HIV, AIDS and teenage pregnancy. This is not only an expensive problem in terms of public services, but an economic problem as the country struggles to keep young people in the labor market to begin with.

The most shocking thing for people looking at the situation in South Africa is the failings of the promises that came with the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela. The situation for the youth in South Africa in terms of education and employment have not improved as much as had been hoped. This has created a huge economic gap, which an end to institutional racism was supposed to stop.

Problems Of The Youth