Unemployment rife in South Africa
Annitta Cele is a marketing diploma graduate . She says she’s been trying to find a job in her field for three years. She’s resorted to an unconventional way of making money.
” I lost a job in October 2018. It has been three years looking for a job- applying every where. What I basically do is do what most people do no want to do. I started working as a runner and going to Small Street, doing ironing, I go stand in queues at Home Affairs for people. So, I do all these things to get money to buy things like cosmetics.”
A Johannesburg based hotel which uses automated robot staff had caused some stir as the
unemployment rates rises in the country. Hotel Sky is the first African hotel to deploy robot staff
members.
“There is a job that the robots can do that is literally welcoming at the front desk. It is something
needed and something different. You are going to have weekend trade that will be hugely enticed
by what the robots can do but there is also the side where we are going to make sure that we
need a person like at banquet venues. This is great for a welcome but that is where it will start
and stop. You will still need staff.” as Andrew Richard, Hotel Sky General Manager explains.
One of the practical solutions proposed by business experts is raising taxes to subsidise the
employment of young South Africans.
