South Africa’s unemployment is a ‘ticking time bomb.’ Anger rises with millions jobless

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s official unemployment rate of 33% is the highest in the world, outstripping those of Gaza and the West Bank, Djibouti and Kosovo. Economists say it’s even higher, around 42%, if you count those who have given up looking for work and have dropped out of unemployment systems. The devastating figure is at odds with South Africa’s position as Africa’s most modern economy and a nation that’s meant to embody the aspirations of the developing world. A United Nations report delivered to the South African government last month described the situation as a “ticking time bomb” for the country’s stability. Filled with anger and frustration, South Africans are asking how this was allowed to happen.