A report by Nicholas Mwangi says that South Africa’s unemployment crisis has deepened despite the violent expulsion of foreign so-called undocumented workers.
Unemployment rose to 33.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, up from 32.7 per cent in the first quarter.
According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) the number of unemployed people increased by 345,000 to 8.5 million in the second quarter, while employment declined by 16,000 to 16.7 million.
The figures underline the persistent difficulty South Africa faces in generating sufficient decent and sustainable employment, particularly for young people and women.
