Individual Consultancy, (Remotley): SADC Youth Employment Strategy, Johannesburg, South Africa

Individual Consultancy, (Remotley): SADC Youth Employment Strategy, Johannesburg, South Africa Organization: UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund Country: South Africa City: Johannesburg Office: UNFPA Johannesburg Individual Consultancy, (Remotley): SADC Youth Employment Strategy Johannesburg, South Africa Job Info Job Identification 33751 Posting Date 04/29/2026, 10:29 AM Apply Before 05/09/2026, 03:59 AM Job Schedule Full time Locations Johannesburg, South Africa Grade P5 Vacancy Type Temporary Education & Work Experience Master's Degree - 10 year(s) experience Required Languages Must be fluent in English Job Description Hiring Office: The UNFPA ESARO AY Team in partnership with the SADC Secretariat (Social and Human Development Directorate - Employment, Labour and Youth Unit) Purpose of consultancy: About SADC The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a Regional Economic Community comprising 16 Member States, namely: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Established in 1992, SADC's mission is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper co-operation and integration, good governance, and durable peace and security. Further, the SADC Vision is of a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle- to high-income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice and freedom, by 2050. About UNFPA UNFPA ensures the rights and choices of women, girls, and young people across more than 150 countries. Our work aims to ensure every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person can fulfill their potential. We work to eradicate gender-based violence, protect women from preventable maternal deaths, and enable governments to plan for changing population needs. The core of UNFPA's mandate is deeply intertwined with the youth development agenda, which is integrated across the four primary outcomes of the 2026-2029 strategic plan. Background Information Youth unemployment stands as the most critical development hurdle in the SADC region. Current jobless rates span from 1.5% to 36.9% across Member States, with youth unemployment in certain areas reaching as high as 62.5%. Despite various policy frameworks, such as the SADC Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment, regional and national efforts currently lack cohesion and coordination. Given that 75% of the population is under the age of 35, the region possesses a vital opportunity to capitalize on the Demographic Dividend. This initiative aims to establish a robust Youth Employment Strategy (YES), shifting the focus from supply-led programs to macroeconomic and sectoral policies centered on job creation. There is a growing consensus within SADC that youth unemployment is a defining crisis with serious consequences for economic prosperity, social stability, and regional integration. Since young people form the demographic majority, their integration into the productive economy is essential for securing the demographic dividend. Consequently, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 identifies youth as a cross-cutting priority. Additional frameworks supporting youth economic empowerment include: The SADC Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment (2015); The SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015-2063), focusing on structural change and regional value chains; The SADC Employment and Labour Policy Framework (2020-2030) and the SADC Decent Work Programme (2021-2025); and The SADC Youth Engagement Framework, designed to formalize youth involvement in regional affairs. Despite these tools, the region faces persistent labour market challenges which underscore structural barriers, including skills gaps, weak labour demand, and high entry obstacles. Furthermore, youth exclusion is highlighted by high rates of those Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET), such as 49.6% in Lesotho. This disconnection from educational systems further hampers future economic prospects. SADC economies also grapple with high informality, which exceeds 80% in over half of the Member States. Young women are especially vulnerable in these low-productivity sectors, facing limited financial access and high susceptibility to economic shocks. In addition, and as noted by the SADC Secretariat in the 2026 Report on Status of the Labour Market and Trends in SADC, women remain concentrated in specific occupation groups and are under-represented in senior and middle management. Rationale The region is characterised by a youthful population structure, with approximately three-quarters of the population below the age of 35 years. This presents a critical window of opportunity to harness the Demographic Dividend , provided that young people are effectively integrated into productive economic activities. However, the demographic dividend does not accrue automatically and requires deliberate investments in skills, health, productivity and employment creation, supported by coherent macroeconomic and sectoral policies. Moreover, this window of opportunity is not permanent and international experience shows that without timely and sustained policy action, countries can see this opportunity pass as populations begin to age.Through the SADC SRHR programme, and the SADC Protocol on Education and Training, young people's health and education are being addressed and the continuum of human capital development requires the deliberate investment in economic resilience and market participation by young people. SADC Member States are therefore implementing a range of programmatic interventions, including youth participation in agri-food systems, regional trade through the Simplified Trade Regime, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, and skills de

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