Your degree still cuts unemployment risk, says Manamela

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has cautioned that while graduate unemployment remains a serious concern in South Africa, holding a degree still significantly improves job prospects compared to those without one.

Speaking at the University of Limpopo’s autumn honours graduation ceremony in Mankweng on Wednesday, Manamela highlighted the stark contrast between graduates and those without tertiary education.

“Your unemployment risk is still dramatically lower than someone without a degree,” he said.

“Those with only a matric face unemployment rates above 47%. Without matric, above 51%. Your degree is not a guarantee, but it is a powerful shield.”

He added that while a qualification does not automatically translate into employment, it offers a critical advantage in an economy where job opportunities remain limited.

Graduate unemployment remains high

Manamela said graduate unemployment among South Africans under the age of 35 currently stands at about 24%, underscoring the challenges young people face even after completing tertiary studies.

“I will not romanticise what you are walking into,” he said.

“Graduate unemployment among South Africans under 35 stands at approximately 24%. Humanities graduates face particular challenges in a labour market that has not yet learned or chosen to properly value what you can do.”

He noted that humanities graduates in particular often struggle to find recognition in a job market that tends to favour technical and specialised skills.

Honours graduates among the ‘rare few’

The minister also highlighted the relative exclusivity of postgraduate education in South Africa, telling graduates that they form part of a small, highly skilled group.

“Less than 20% of South African university graduates proceed to postgraduate study. Only 1% of young South Africans, one in a hundred, hold a postgraduate qualification,” Manamela said.

“You are in a small, capable cohort. The economy, over time, will feel your absence if you don’t apply yourselves.”

He encouraged graduates to recognise the weight of this distinction and to actively contribute to the country’s development.

Call to apply skills beyond formal employment

Manamela urged graduates not to limit themselves to traditional employment pathways, stressing that the skills gained through humanities studies remain critical to society.

“What the labour market needs from you is not only what your certificate says. It needs your capacity to research, to argue, to write with precision, to understand how institutions work, how power moves, how people behave,” he said.

He added that these competencies are increasingly scarce and valuable in a complex and evolving economy.

“Do not limit your imagination to formal employment,” Manamela said, encouraging graduates to explore entrepreneurship, research and community-driven initiatives.

‘Act accordingly’

In closing, Manamela called on graduates to recognise their responsibility as part of an educated minority in South Africa.

“In a country where only one in a hundred young people holds a postgraduate qualification, you are not ordinary. Act accordingly.”

He urged them to use their education not only for personal advancement but also to contribute meaningfully to society.

“South Africa does not need you to be comfortable. It needs you to be excellent. It needs you to be purposeful. It needs you to build.”

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