Deputy Minister Chupu Mathabatha: NARYSEC youth: Pass-out parade

Programme director, lieutenant colonel and officer in command, 4 Artillery Regiment, Mr Brendon Mabee
MEC for agriculture and rural development, North West, Mr Madoda Sambatha
MEC for environmental affairs, rural development and land reform, Northern Cape, Ms Galerekwe Manopole
Kgosi Gaboilelwe Moroka of the Barolong-Boo-Seleka, Free State
Deputy director-general: rural development, Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Nomtandazo Moyo
Major General John Thys, South African Army
Brigadier General G.J. Maso, South African Army
Acting mayor, J.B. Marks Local Municipality, Councillor Wanda Moilwa
Acting chief director, National Rural Youth Services Corps, Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Neo Mashaba
Chief director, Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, North West Provincial Shared Service Centre, Mr Richard Keothaile
Chief executive officers and executive managers of various institutions present
Parents and families of our graduates
Our NARYSEC youth, the future leaders of our nation

Good morning. Sanibonani. Molweni. Goeie môre. Dumelang. Avuxeni. Thobela. Ndi matsheloni.

It is both an honour and a privilege to address you on this historic occasion, the pass-out parade of young leaders from the National Rural Youth Service Corps, NARYSEC. We are holding this important ceremony during Youth Month, under the theme: ‘Skills for the changing world: empowering youth for meaningful economic participation’.

The National Rural Youth Service Corps is more than a youth programme. It is a catalyst for transformation. It is about building rural economies, instilling patriotism, promoting self-reliance, and empowering young people to become agents of change in land reform and rural development.

The programme was established to build the capacity of unemployed rural youth with various skills, to enable them to contribute meaningfully to vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural economies. NARYSEC goes beyond skills development. It is about nation-building, self-reliance and preparing leaders who will take ownership of their futures to uplift their communities.

In April 2025, five hundred and seventy-three young people were recruited from thirty-five rural districts, and seventy-seven traditional authorities, across seven high-poverty, vulnerable regions.

Our graduates come from the heartlands of our nation: the rolling hills of KwaZulu-Natal, the valleys of Mpumalanga, the grasslands of the Free State, the vast open landscapes of the Northern Cape, the diverse cultural landscapes of Limpopo, the varied terrains of the Eastern Cape, and the rich agricultural zones of the North West.

We are well aware of the challenges facing rural communities. I speak not only as a public representative but also as someone who has a home in a rural village. These challenges include high levels of poverty and unemployment. One of the most pressing issues is the legacy of colonial and apartheid uneven development between, on the one hand, developed metropolitan regions and, on the other hand, underdeveloped rural areas. The development challenge is evident in the limited access rural communities have to economic infrastructure, economic investment, economic resources and economic opportunities that you find in developed metropolitan regions.

As a result, we continue to see growing migration patterns from rural areas to developed metropolitan regions, as people search for economic opportunities and resources. Some refer to this process simply as urbanisation. However, we understand that successful rural development, grounded in equitable investment and distribution of resources, and in continuously improved integrated strategic planning, can change this pattern. By making rural areas more attractive and economically viable, we can begin to redress the uneven development imbalance and create a more inclusive, balanced national development path.

We know the strength, resilience and untapped potential in the rural space. The young people from rural areas we have gathered here to congratulate today are proof of this. They are determined, visionary and committed to change. Through this Youth Leadership Development Programme, we are cultivating leadership rooted in discipline, community service and innovation. We are investing in skills, from agriculture to engineering, technology and rural industrialisation, from new venture creation to economic and social infrastructure development, to name but a few, so that youth become the drivers of rural transformation.

These young people have completed the Induction and Youth Leadership Development component of the NARYSEC programme. They were purposefully selected from high-poverty, vulnerable wards in the country’s poorest provinces, in pursuit of inclusive rural development.

We firmly believe that co-operatives and small business development have a meaningful contribution to make, towards addressing the triple challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty. They are also key to stimulating economic activity, creating work opportunities and improving living standards.

Following a short recess in their home villages, the graduates will begin the next phase of the programme: technical and vocational skills training. This will equip them to pursue work opportunities, as well as to build, own and operate co-operatives and small enterprises.

The youth will enrol in public technical and vocational education and training colleges, agricultural colleges and other skills development training providers. They will undertake targeted skills programmes to prepare themselves for confirmed economic opportunities. This is essential.

Each technical and vocational programme includes work readiness and enterprise development components. This will not only ensure that they have a strong foundation to enter the world of work; it will also equip them with skills to start their own co-operatives and small businesses. These exit opportunities have been developed in partnership with other government departments, municipalities, traditional authorities, communal property associations and private sector companies.

The confirmed opportunities include the following:

1. Employment and business prospects in agriculture and agro-processing, including plant production, beekeeping, meat classification and inspection

2. Construction, including hospital building projects in the Eastern Cape and Free State, and geomatics pupils training, through a partnership between Rural Development and National Geomatics Management Services

3. Law enforcement roles, including traffic officers, traffic wardens, peace officers, drone pilots and security officers

4. Information technology and cybersecurity, in partnership with the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa

5. Hospitality, accommodation services, wholesale and retail, and field ranger opportunities. We particularly thank the North West Premier and the Provincial Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism for their partnership in securing employment opportunities for youth in this province

6. Roles in the energy and water sectors, such as solar technicians in Mpumalanga

On behalf of the Ministry of Land Reform and Rural Development, I extend our deepest appreciation to all government departments, municipalities, traditional leaders, training and development institutions, civil society organisations, and private sector partners who have helped to ensure that these young people are adequately equipped for the world of work and industry.

Public-private partnerships structured in the public interest, with community involvement, are essential to advance the inclusive development agenda, improve quality of life in rural areas, especially for youth, and revitalise rural economies.

To our graduates: the programme that you have successfully completed today has required rigorous personal, physical, intellectual and emotional discipline. This is not the end.

You must remain focused and determined to complete the upcoming technical and vocational training phase, and, eventually, transition to the world of work or new venture creation. A responsible and visionary leader sees a task through to its completion.

You have shown that leaders can rise even from the most remote parts of our country. With the right investment, support and determination, no village is too far and no dream too small.

Resist the temptation to drop out. Your destiny is one of discipline, promise and responsibility. You should remain transformative, community-oriented individuals, ready to lead development initiatives and inspire others. You should serve as the torchbearers of hope and progress in rural areas.

For the first time in the history of this programme, five hundred and seventy-two out of five hundred and seventy-three participants stand before us today. Only one, from the North West, exited the programme to pursue an employment opportunity that came during this programme.

Well done to all our graduates. You have made South Africa, our department, other departments, your municipalities, your families and your communities proud. Let your journey inspire others.

Let your leadership break the cycle of poverty. You are the bridge between government plans and community action. Whether through forming co-operatives and small businesses, or by participating in land reform and mentoring the next generation, your role is critical.

Our government remains committed to revitalise rural economies, ensuring that no one is left behind. Land reform, infrastructure development and skills training are deeply interconnected, and none can succeed without your passion, skill and vision.

Go back as role models. Go back with confidence. Go back with the resolve to uplift your families and communities.

Congratulations, and thank you.