The Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), has on Monday 29 September launched the Vul’amathuba festival at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg.
The campaign is described as a festival of opportunities, supported by an online platform that connects users to skills training, work and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development opportunities.
Speaking to SAnews, Deputy Director-General for Economic Planning at the GDED, Bulumko Nelana, explained that the campaign is aimed at confronting the province’s persistent unemployment challenges by bridging the gap between opportunity seekers and employers.“The platform provides better visibility between opportunity providers and opportunity seekers.
“Increased visibility, at a lower cost on available opportunities, has the potential to shift Gauteng’s unemployment rate as the festival grows year on year,” Nelana said.
The campaign is strategically focused on addressing two primary challenges.
“Firstly, lowering the unemployment rate will lead to socio-economic benefits. Secondly providing a platform that makes it easier to access upskilling, work, and MSME development opportunities,” Nelana stated. To ensure long-term placement sustainability, Nelana told SAnews that the campaign has secured commitments from a wide array of major partners.
Some of the confirmed partners, who will join the 2026 event, include major corporations and educational institutions such as Microsoft, Samsung, Uber, Takealot, McDonalds, Tiger Brands, Standard Bank, ABSA, Nedbank, UNISA, University of Johannesburg, and multiple TVET colleges and SETAs, FoodBEV, Bank SETA, MERSETA, and AgriSETA.
To ensure marginalised youth are not left behind, the department outlined a deliberate outreach strategy.
“The mobilisation plan for Vul’amathuba includes on the ground marketing and information sharing through IGR structures.
“Within the Vul’amathuba festival, there will be a citizen’s central zone where all government departments that provide MSME support programmes will be providing information on compliance standards and the platforms used to reduce red tape,” Nelana explained.
Ultimately, the success of Vul’amathuba will be measured by the lives it touches.“GDED is hoping that opportunity seekers in Gauteng, who make use of the platform, will have found the opportunities they were looking for through Vul’amathuba, which then improves their livelihoods and socio-economic status.
“Moreover, that opportunity providers have been able to find suitable placements to vacancies, training programmes, and MSME support programmes,” Nelana concluded.
Soweto Sunrise News
