Limpopo gains 231 skilled graduates from NARYSEC

Two hundred (200) National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) participants from all five districts of Limpopo province have graduated in a vibrant ceremony held at Letaba Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET College in Tzaneen on the 19th of August 2025 after successfully completing various skills developmnent training under the NARYSEC programme. Only 200 paricipants managed to attend, though a total of 231 have completed the training. The ceremony to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of these participants was presided over by the Deputy Minister of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD) Mr Chupu Stanley Mathabatha. In attendance, was the potential employers and other stakeholders.

In its endevour to address the tripple challeges of unemployment, poverty and ineqaulity amongst youth, the department of Land Reform and Rural Development through the NARYSEC programme recruited and trained 231 unemployed youth between the 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 finacial year. They were recruited from all the five districts in the province which are: Capricorn, Sekhukhune, Mopani, Waterberg and Vhembe.

Eleven (11) different training programmes acquired from different TVET Colleges across south Africa have equipped the participants with the necessary skills to contribute to their communities’ economic and social development. These include Agricultural Equipment Services and Repairs, Business Administartion, Accommodation Operations Services, plant Production, Mixed Farming, Poultry Production, Wholesale and retail, Genearl Security Practices, Beauty and Nail Technician, Information, Communicationn & Technology, Tourist guiding, and New Venture creation.

Participants have been trained in business development and supported by National Development Agency, National Youth Development Agency, Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEFDA), whillst others were enrolled in the upskilling programme in Agriculture and others linked to upskilling in Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA) through their Grant funding for upskilling former exited NARYSEC participants in an intention to start their businesses. A total of 24 participants have already been absorbed in permantent jobs as listed below:

Five (5) General Security Services participants were absorbed by Bidvest Protea Coin Company as Security Officers from February 2025 and 1 is permanently appointed as an Educator at the Department of Education. Two (2) Tourist Guiding participants were absorbed permanently at Shidila Lodge. Two (1) mixed farming participant absorbed permanently at VPK Business Venture from September 2024. Four (4) Beauty and Nail Technology participants permanently absorbed at Keep Calm and Cosy Spa, Arbor Park Lodge, Radiant Beauty and Tshoseletso Day Spa. One (1) Information Technology participant got permanent employment at Old Mutual. Ten (10) Wholesale and Retail participants permanently appointed at different wholesale and Retail Stores such as VKB, Spa, Ledaine Trading, Macro and Shoprite. One (1) Business Admin learner permanently at Department of Employment and Labour.
Business Development Support Provided: (123)

A total of 30 enterprises have been registered aggregated as follows:
– 27 are registered cooperatives.
– 3 are registered as PTYs with 3 participants leading the enterprises.

All participants went through National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) business management training and National Development Agency (NDA) cooperative governance, financial management and basis bookkeeping training.

Upskilling: (91)

A total of 91 participants enrolled in W&R upskilling.
– 91 W&R

By Pfumelani Tsedu