The Mr Price Foundation has managed to place 6 571 unemployed youths in a year thanks to its R24.2 million investment in retail skills development through its JumpStart programme.
The JumpStart programme, established in collaboration with the Mr Price Foundation, is meant to prepare youths for entry-level jobs in retail stores.
Releasing the Mr Price Foundation’s 2024 Annual Integrated Report last week, for the period April last year to March this year, it said in the reporting period, the foundation invested R24.2 million in retail skills development through its JumpStart programme, upskilling 7252 unemployed youths, with 90% of them securing employment at Mr Price Group, SPAR and the Foundation’s other employer partners.
Karen Wells, the head of Mr Price Foundation, said this meant 6 571 youths were taken out of the unemployment line and into employment.
“These young people are now able to provide for their families, impacting around 32 745 people (calculated on a multiplier effect of 5:1),” Wells said.
The foundation said JumpStart training was demand-driven.
In a new partnership with Anglo American Platinum, it was able to grow its JumpStart footprint significantly in the Limpopo area, from 33% in 2023 to 61% in 2024.
“We are also reaping the rewards of a new partnership with Power Fashion, which has become the largest employer of JumpStarters outside of Mr Price Apparel, Mr Price Home and SPAR, ” it said.
Wells said this financial year was a roller-coaster ride, filled with the thrills of the highs and the challenges of the lows.
“But through it all, we remained focused in our efforts to ensure that no young person is left behind, especially in marginalised communities,” Wells said.
Mark Blair, Mr Price Foundation Board chairman, said, “The pressure is also mounting on South Africa to rise in the face of a multitude of socio-economic challenges. The 2024 financial year was characterised by weak economic growth, high levels of poverty, power cuts and a significant rise in extreme weather events.
“In the labour market, the total number of unemployed youths increased to 4.9 million, or 45.5%, in the first quarter of 2024. There is no magic pill for these challenges. If we want to see change, we need to be change,” he said.
Blair said at Mr Price Foundation, as a youth development organisation, that meant investing in education, youth skills development and entrepreneurial growth.
“Without growth, we cannot create jobs or enable a sustainable cycle where businesses can grow and create further jobs,” he added.
The Mr Price Foundation said it had invested R8.7m into its UpLift small business development programme, placing 154 aspiring young entrepreneurs on the path to small business success in townships, agriculture and waste management.
UpLift entrepreneurs generated R1.3m in revenue, with 10 micro, small and medium enterprises established, according to the annual reprot. In the HandPicked agricultural small business development programme, entrepreneurs harvested 1.47 tons of fresh produce, giving families access to better nutrition and generating collective revenue of R242 000.
The Foundation said it also supported 77 NPOs by donating R437 000 in product vouchers to Mr Price Group businesses. An estimated 5 322 beneficiaries across South Africa’s nine provinces benefited through these NPOs, which were aligned with the Foundation's vision and purpose of unlocking tomorrow's potential.
Wells said: “Poor skills and education are the root cause of unemployment in South Africa. That’s why we invest significantly into improving education outcomes in lower socio-economic schools.”
Mr Price Foundation also invested R4.6m into holistic education through its EduRise programme, impacting 40 primary schools, 25 214 pupils and 62 educators in KwaZulu-Natal.
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