NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY BY FIONA WAKELIN AND LEONIE HALL
The National Youth Policy 2030 and SA’s unemployment challenge
T
he National Youth Policy 2020-2030 (NYP 2030) is cross-sectoral and aimed at effecting positive youth development outcomes for young people at local, provincial, and national levels in South Africa. It has been developed by the Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities in collaboration with multiple stakeholders; the Policy’s intention is to redress the injustices of the past and deal decisively with the new challenges the youth are facing. The NYP 2030 builds on South Africa's first and second NYPs, which covered the period 20092014 and 2015-2020, respectively and is informed by various national and international policy and legislative frameworks including the Constitution, the National Development Plan and the Economic Reconstruction Recovery Plan. To enable young people to develop and realise their potential, the Policy avoids quick fixes that divert attention from complex institutional and systemic issues and is not to be seen as a panacea for all youth development challenges, but rather as an advocacy tool that aims to ensure that across all levels of society youth development is prioritised. It articulates the need to accelerate
46| Public Sector Leaders | June 2024