South Africa: EPWP shifts its recruitment to the SA Youth Mobi platform

South African Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson has transitioned recruitment for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to the SA Youth Mobi digital platform, a reform welcomed on August 14, 2026, by Rikus Badenhorst, Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure in the National Council of Provinces. According to Africa Newsroom (APO), Rikus Badenhorst believes this decision represents a significant shift in how the government should create opportunities for unemployed South Africans. The press release does not specify the number of positions involved or the exact rollout timeline for the platform regarding the EPWP. Launched in 2004, the EPWP is the country's main public temporary job creation scheme, mobilizing municipalities and provinces for infrastructure, environmental, and social service projects; it is currently in its fourth phase. The SA Youth platform, powered by the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator initiative since 2020, already connects several million young South Africans to job, training, and internship opportunities via a mobile application. For candidates, this digital shift promises more transparent and centralized access to EPWP opportunities, which have long been criticized for opacity and suspicions of favoritism in local selection. For the government of national unity, of which Dean Macpherson has been a member since 2024, the reform is part of a broader digitalization of public services in the face of youth unemployment exceeding 45% according to recent official statistics.