What Is the YES Programme? A Complete Guide for Youth and Businesses
South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q1 2025, unemployment among young people aged 15 to 34 stood at 46.1%, and on the expanded definition, which includes those who have given up looking for work, that figure climbs to 56.4%.
Behind every percentage point are real people: young, qualified, willing to work, but locked out of an economy that keeps asking for experience they have never had the chance to gain.
The Youth Employment Service, or YES Programme, was created to break that cycle. Since its launch in 2018, it has become South Africa’s highest-impact private sector youth employment initiative, creating over 200,000 paid work experiences and injecting billions of rands in salaries into communities across the country.
Whether you are a young person looking for your first break, or a business trying to understand the B-BBEE benefits and compliance requirements, this guide explains everything you need to know about the YES Programme in 2026.
What Is the YES Programme?
The Youth Employment Service (YES) is a private-sector-led, non-profit initiative that enables South African businesses to create 12-month quality work experiences for unemployed youth. It is not a government department, and it receives no government funding, it is entirely funded and driven by the private sector.
YES was launched in March 2018 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, following his inauguration, and was formally gazetted in August 2018 when the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) included it in the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes of Good Practice.
That gazette was a landmark moment: it meant that businesses participating in YES could earn tangible, recognised B-BBEE scorecard benefits for creating youth employment.
The principle behind YES is straightforward: businesses have the resources, networks, and capacity to create real work experiences, and young people have the energy, potential, and willingness to contribute, they simply need the opportunity.
YES provides the structure that brings the two together.
| At a Glance | Details |
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Launched
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March 2018 by President Cyril Ramaphosa
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Programme type
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12-month paid work experience
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Age range
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18–29 years old
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Stipend
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Market-related monthly (typically R3,500–R5,000)
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Who is eligible
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Unemployed black South African youth (as defined under B-BBEE Act)
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Business benefit
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Up to 2 B-BBEE level enhancements
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Jobs created
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Over 200,000 to date
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How Does the YES Programme Work?
Businesses register on the YES digital platform, calculate their youth employment target, and then place qualifying youth into 12-month paid work experiences.
There are two approved models:
Model 1: Direct Placement
The company recruits and hosts YES youth within its own operations. The youth are employed directly by the company for the 12-month period, earning a market-related stipend. This model works well for businesses with capacity to absorb entry-level candidates and provide meaningful day-to-day workplace exposure.
Model 2: Host Placement (Turnkey / Implementation Partner)
Where a company cannot host youth in its own premises, it can place young people with accredited Implementation Partners (IPs), typically community-based organisations, NPOs, or businesses operating YES-approved programmes.
The sponsoring company still earns the B-BBEE benefit; the youth gains the work experience within the IP’s environment.
In both models, YES provides each participant with a smartphone loaded with the YES App, which contains training modules, progress surveys, and digital skills development content.
The technology backbone means the programme can operate at scale across every province, including rural areas.
Businesses that wish to explore implementation support, from recruitment and contracting through to B-BBEE verification, can work with specialist partners. LinkUp Youth is one such partner, helping companies navigate the YES process end-to-end so that both the business and the young participants get the most out of the 12 months.
Who Qualifies for the YES Programme? (For Youth)
To participate in the YES Programme as a youth candidate, you must meet the following criteria:
– Age: between 18 and 29 years old at the time of contracting
– Citizenship: South African born, and classified as ‘black’ under the B-BBEE Act (African, Coloured, Indian, or Chinese)
– Employment status: currently unemployed and not registered as a full-time student
– First-time participant: you can only participate in the YES Programme once; those who have completed the full 12 months are not eligible to apply again
No prior work experience is required. The programme is specifically designed as an entry point for young people who are struggling to gain their first foot in the door precisely because employers keep asking for experience they cannot yet have.
Participants typically receive a monthly stipend, generally ranging between R3,500 and R5,000 depending on the employer and role, along with structured workplace exposure, digital skills training through the YES App, and a certificate of completion at the end of the 12 months.
Ready to simplify your YES Programme participation?
What Are the Benefits for Businesses?
The YES Programme is designed to be compelling for businesses, not just socially responsible. Here is what qualifying companies stand to gain:
B-BBEE Level Enhancement
This is the headline incentive. Companies that meet their YES youth employment target can earn up to two B-BBEE scorecard level enhancements. For a company currently sitting on Level 4, that could mean moving to Level 2, a significant improvement that opens doors to new contracts, tenders, and procurement relationships.
The enhancement is recognised by SARS and verified through your standard B-BBEE audit process.
Skills Development Expenditure (SDE) Recognition
Companies can claim up to 50% of YES training expenses as informal Skills Development Expenditure on the Skills Development element of their B-BBEE scorecard, further improving scorecard performance.
Talent Pipeline Development
The 12-month engagement period gives companies a meaningful window to assess and develop young talent.
Many businesses discover exceptional individuals through YES who go on to be offered permanent positions, making the programme a cost-effective recruitment and development channel.
ESG and Social Impact Reporting
Participating in YES provides measurable, verifiable social impact data that can be reported to investors and stakeholders.
Research shows that approximately 40% of YES participants go on to find employment after completing the programme, and 74% of participants come from households that depend on social grants.
This is impact investing in its most practical form.
Which Companies Participate in YES?
The YES Programme works across industries and company sizes. Some of South Africa’s most recognisable brands are active participants, including Shoprite (the highest-impact employer to date, having created over 11,000 YES jobs), BMW (with over 3,500 YES participants at its Rosslyn plant working with robotics and EV technologies), Nedbank, Toyota, Foschini, and Vodacom, among many others.
Altogether, more than 2,200 private companies have participated in YES since 2019.
Companies of all sizes can participate, there is no minimum or maximum headcount requirement.
The number of youth a business is expected to host is calculated based on its size and B-BBEE profile using the online YES calculator on the YES website.
How to Apply for the YES Programme in 2026
For Youth
YES vacancies are not advertised through a single central platform. Instead, participating companies post opportunities on their own careers pages and through trusted job boards. Here is the most effective approach:
– Check the careers pages of major YES-participating employers directly, particularly in retail, banking, automotive, and technology sectors
– Search for ‘YES programme 2026’ or ‘YES4Youth’ on reputable South African job portals
– Register on SAYouth.mobi, a zero-rated government platform where YES and other youth opportunities are listed, accessible even without data
– Reach out directly to organisations like LinkUp Youth which actively facilitate YES placements and can support you through the process
For Businesses
To register your business on the YES Programme:
– Visit yes4youth.co.za and use the online calculator to determine your YES youth target
– Select your company size and the appropriate registration package, which includes the YES monitoring and evaluation fee
– Choose your implementation model (direct or host placement) and recruit or source qualifying youth
– Alternatively, partner with an accredited implementation specialist such as LinkUp Youth to manage the process on your behalf, from sourcing and contracting through to B-BBEE evidence management
The Bottom Line
The YES Programme is one of the most well-constructed responses to youth unemployment South Africa has produced. It aligns the incentives of business with the needs of young people, creates genuine workplace exposure rather than empty box-ticking, and has already unlocked over 200,000 futures, with real salaries, real experience, and real certificates to show for it.
For young people, it is a structured, supported first step into the world of work. For businesses, it is a compliance tool, a talent pipeline, and a genuine contribution to the communities they operate in.
Done well, it is a win on every side.
At LinkUp Youth, we help businesses implement YES properly and help young people navigate their way into meaningful placements. Whether you are an employer looking for an experienced implementation partner, or a young person ready to take your first step, get in touch with our team, we are here to make the YES Programme work for you.