IN CONVERSATION WITH MOTSHABI NOMVETHE
Loading player...
The Professional Provident Society (PPS), in partnership with the Make Education Fashionable (MEF) Convocation and Awards, has announced a strategic collaboration aimed at addressing the gap between academic achievement and employment opportunities for South African graduates. Announced on 3 November 2026, the partnership seeks to transform education from simply obtaining a qualification into a pathway towards employment, entrepreneurship, professional networking and economic participation. Through this collaboration, PPS aims to use its network and resources to help connect graduates with opportunities that can support their professional development and long-term growth.
The partnership comes at a time when youth unemployment remains a significant challenge in South Africa. According to Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026, unemployment among young people aged 15 to 34 stood at 47.4%, representing approximately five million young people without work. Graduate unemployment also increased from 12.2% in the first quarter to 12.4% in the second quarter of 2026. These figures highlight the growing reality that obtaining a university qualification does not necessarily guarantee employment, leaving many graduates struggling to transition from academic life into the workplace.
Through this partnership, PPS will support the three pillars of the MEF Convocation and Awards: celebrating academic achievement, recognising excellence across nine award categories with R250,000 in prize money, and creating practical opportunities through an expo connecting graduates with employers, internships, scholarships, bursaries and professional development programmes. PPS will also contribute thought leadership, career-building conversations and access to its professional network. The initiative further emphasises the importance of financial literacy, encouraging graduates to develop good budgeting, saving and investing habits as they enter professional life. The 2026 MEF Convocation is scheduled for 5 December and is expected to accommodate approximately 500 graduates and guests.
The partnership comes at a time when youth unemployment remains a significant challenge in South Africa. According to Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026, unemployment among young people aged 15 to 34 stood at 47.4%, representing approximately five million young people without work. Graduate unemployment also increased from 12.2% in the first quarter to 12.4% in the second quarter of 2026. These figures highlight the growing reality that obtaining a university qualification does not necessarily guarantee employment, leaving many graduates struggling to transition from academic life into the workplace.
Through this partnership, PPS will support the three pillars of the MEF Convocation and Awards: celebrating academic achievement, recognising excellence across nine award categories with R250,000 in prize money, and creating practical opportunities through an expo connecting graduates with employers, internships, scholarships, bursaries and professional development programmes. PPS will also contribute thought leadership, career-building conversations and access to its professional network. The initiative further emphasises the importance of financial literacy, encouraging graduates to develop good budgeting, saving and investing habits as they enter professional life. The 2026 MEF Convocation is scheduled for 5 December and is expected to accommodate approximately 500 graduates and guests.
