Dear Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour,

Dear Honourable Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee,

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the Employment Services Amendment Bill [B16–2026], particularly its implications for South African citizens who are struggling to secure employment in their own country.
I submit this representation as an unemployed South African citizen who is actively searching for work. I am 46 years old, willing to work and eager to contribute meaningfully to the economy. Yet, despite my efforts, finding employment has been extremely difficult. One of the challenges I repeatedly encounter is being told that  of ageism because I am over 45.
This leaves me in a difficult position. I am not yet at retirement age, I still have skills to offer, and I still need to earn a living. However, I often feel caught between a labour market that expects experience and qualifications and an employment process that can treat those very attributes as a disadvantage.

My experience is not unique. I know many people in my age group who are facing similar difficulties. We are too old to fall within the youth category, yet we are far from retirement. We still have families to support, responsibilities to fulfil and a genuine desire to work. We cannot simply be overlooked because of our age, nor should our experience become a barrier to earning an honest living.

At the same time, South Africa's young people are struggling to find employment. Many are expected to obtain formal qualifications in a country where education and training can be expensive and inaccessible to those without sufficient financial resources. Even after investing time and money in their education, many young people remain unemployed.
This raises an important question: if both our youth and experienced adults are struggling to access employment, what practical measures are being introduced to ensure that South Africans have a fair opportunity to work?
My concerns regarding competition for general employment
I recognise that South Africa operates within a legal framework that governs immigration, employment and the rights of people who are lawfully entitled to work in the country. My concern is not to promote hatred or discrimination against foreign nationals. My concern is the protection of employment opportunities for South African citizens in the context of exceptionally high unemployment.
When South Africans who are willing and able to work cannot secure even basic employment, it is reasonable to ask whether employers are making sufficient efforts to recruit locally before turning to foreign recruitment.
Do we have adequate safeguards to ensure that suitably qualified South Africans receive genuine consideration for available positions? Are employers required to demonstrate that reasonable efforts have been made to identify local candidates? Are the proposed measures sufficiently clear and enforceable to prevent the unfair exclusion of South African job seekers?
These questions become especially important when considering general and entry-level positions for which specialised skills may not be required. Where suitable South African candidates are available, I believe there should be transparent and effective procedures to ensure that they receive fair consideration before employers recruit from outside the country.
I respectfully ask Parliament to consider whether the Bill goes far enough in establishing these protections and whether its provisions can be enforced effectively in practice.
The difficult reality facing unemployed South Africans
Unemployment is not merely a statistic. It affects people's dignity, mental well-being, families and ability to meet basic needs.
When a person is willing to work but cannot find employment, even after making repeated applications, the consequences extend beyond financial hardship. It becomes increasingly difficult to afford food, transport, accommodation, education and other essential expenses.
We are expected to obey the law, fulfil our responsibilities and contribute to society. Yet sustained unemployment can make it extremely difficult to meet even the most basic needs. This does not excuse unlawful conduct, but it highlights the urgency of creating genuine pathways into employment.
South Africans should not be left feeling that they have no place in their own economy. Those of us in our 40s and beyond still have productive years ahead of us. We possess experience, knowledge, discipline and skills that can benefit employers and communities. Our age should not make us invisible in employment policies, recruitment practices or government interventions.
I therefore urge the Committee to consider the circumstances of unemployed adults who fall outside conventional youth employment programmes but have not reached retirement age. This group deserves meaningful attention in employment policy.