By 
JOHANNESBURG — In a direct bid to tackle South Africa’s persistent unemployment crisis and stagnant economic trajectory, President Cyril Ramaphosa and business leadership have officially launched Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership.
The newly expanded initiative sets a target to lift gross domestic product (GDP) growth above 3% annually and drive the creation of one million additional jobs by 2030.
The announcement comes as the country seeks to leverage recent macroeconomic stability and structural reform momentum into tangible labour market gains. Despite real GDP expansion over six consecutive quarters, sovereign credit rating upgrades by S&P and Fitch, a stabilizing rand, and reduced inflation, economic growth measured just 1.1% in 2025.
With national unemployment standing at 33.6%—representing approximately 8.5 million jobless individuals—and an estimated 300,000 new entrants joining the labour market each year, official analysis indicates that growth under 3% fails to absorb incoming job-seekers.
Expanding the Scope: Key Structural Pillars
Originally established in 2023 to manage critical state failures in power supply, freight transport, and law enforcement, the joint mechanism has transitioned from crisis response to an expanded growth platform. Phase 3 expands this delivery framework across three primary pillars:
- Economic Growth Enabler Workstreams: Continued intervention in Energy as well as Transport and Logistics to secure network industries and preserve operational competitiveness.
- Targeted High-Impact Growth Drivers: Four new sectoral focal areas—Mining, Tourism, Infrastructure, and Agriculture/Agro-processing. These sectors were prioritized based on global competitiveness, potential to scale, rural-urban economic reach, and capacity to absorb lower-skilled labour.
- Confidence Multipliers and Institutional Support: Focus on Crime and Corruption, targeted interventions in municipal governance (including the City of Johannesburg), dedicated youth employment initiatives, and establishing an evidence-based national economic narrative.
Tracking Progress from Early Phases
The partnership’s structural interventions have delivered measurable operational turnarounds across core state-owned platforms:
| Focus Area | Historical Baseline (2023) | Recent Performance & Reforms |
| Energy Grid | 335 days of load-shedding | Grid stabilized; Eskom returns to profitability for the first time in eight years. |
| Logistics & Ports | Severe freight bottlenecks | Operational recovery underway; Port of Durban recognized as the world’s most improved port. |
| Fiscal & Financial Governance | Grey-listed by FATF; structural fiscal deficits | Exit from FATF grey list; first primary budget surplus achieved in 15 years. |
Executive Leadership & Accountability Mechanics
“What started as a platform to address multiple crises has evolved into a platform for growth and shared prosperity,” stated President Ramaphosa at the launch. “We both seek an economy that is growing, an economy that is creating jobs, and an economy that includes those who have been left outside it for too long.”
Adrian Gore, Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) chairperson and co-convenor of the Partnership, emphasized the necessity of surpassing baseline performance. “Growth is essential for large-scale job creation. We need to move beyond business as usual and lift growth above 3% if we are to start to create net jobs,” Gore said, noting the inclusion of additional corporate CEOs to lead the new work-streams.
Youth employment remains structured as both an independent work-stream and a mandatory cross-cutting priority across all work-stream portfolios.
Detailed delivery plans, key performance metrics, and implementation targets for each work-stream are scheduled for public release in the fourth quarter of 2026. Progress against these benchmarks will be reviewed at quarterly presidential meetings and published regularly.
