The African National Congress has put youth employment high on its local government election agenda, promising to launch 10 000 apprenticeships, learnerships and graduate internships in municipalities it governs.
The manifesto makes the bold promise:
“Ten thousand apprenticeships, learnerships and graduate internships commenced across ANC-led municipalities, with youth as primary beneficiaries of the one million work, training and enterprise opportunities,”
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled the organisation’s 2026 Local Government Election manifesto at Riverside Park in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, on Sunday, 23 August 2026.
The pledge comes as South Africa’s unemployment crisis continues to hit young people hardest, with the national unemployment rate standing at 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026.
According to Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment among people aged between 15 and 34 stood at 45.8% in the first quarter of the year.
Against this backdrop, the ANC has made young people the main target of a much larger commitment to create one million work, training and enterprise opportunities during the next five-year local government term. The plan is not limited to placing young people in municipal jobs.
READ: Beyond the blame: The real story behind SA’s jobs crisis
The ANC wants municipalities to become platforms for developing small businesses and expanding access to economic opportunities.
One of its commitments is to establish a “local enterprise and innovation hub” in every ANC-led metropolitan municipality and district.
The party also wants to increase the share of young people, women and people with disabilities benefiting from municipal procurement and employment. It’s got its eyes set on 20% for youth, 40% for women and 3% for people with disabilities.
The proposal would put municipal spending at the centre of the ANC’s strategy to broaden participation in local economies.
The party’s manifesto argues that local government must play a bigger role in creating conditions for economic growth, rather than focusing exclusively on the delivery of basic services.
The employment plan also extends to existing community infrastructure.
The ANC promises that sports facilities, community halls and libraries in municipalities it controls should be “opened, lit, accessible, programmed and connected”.
The intention is to make these facilities more useful as community and development spaces, while ensuring that they are accessible to residents.
READ: The young and the jobless: The struggle of the qualified yet unemployed
The manifesto further promises programmes for older people at community halls and commits municipalities to automatically placing older people and disability grant recipients on the indigent register, with qualifying beneficiaries receiving a full rebate.
The scale of the jobs challenge means the ANC’s employment promises are likely to face intense scrutiny after the elections.
The bigger question will be whether those opportunities result in lasting employment, skills development and viable businesses, rather than temporary placements. The ANC will have to show how the opportunities will be allocated between municipalities, how beneficiaries will be selected and how progress will be measured.
The party has separately committed itself to publishing regular information on the implementation of its local government manifesto, creating a potential accountability mechanism for its job promises.
Its manifesto says the ANC is inviting South Africans to hold it accountable for the commitments it makes, the progress it achieves and the results it delivers.
- The ANC's 2026 Local Government Election manifesto promises to launch 10,000 apprenticeships, learnerships, and graduate internships in municipalities it governs, prioritizing youth beneficiaries.
- South Africa's national unemployment rate was 33.6% in Q2 2026, with youth unemployment for ages 15-34 at 45.8% in Q1 2026.
- The ANC aims to create one million work, training, and enterprise opportunities over the next five years in ANC-led municipalities, including establishing local enterprise and innovation hubs.
- The manifesto targets increasing municipal procurement and employment to 20% for youth, 40% for women, and 3% for people with disabilities, emphasizing local government’s role in economic growth.
- The ANC commits to making community infrastructure accessible and programmed, providing programs for older people, and automatically placing older people and disability grant recipients on the indigent register with a full rebate.
