BASIC EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE PHASE V CONCLUDES: YOUNG LIVES TRANSFORMED, SCHOOLS STRENGTHENED AND COMMUNITIES EMPOWERED
The Department of Basic Education worked with the Presidency, the Department of Employment and Labour, the Unemployment Insurance Fund, National Treasury, and the Industrial Development Corporation to complete Phase V of the Basic Education Employment Initiative. The programme ends on 30 November 2025, with assistants completing their final duties in schools on 28 November. Assistants in North West schools started in July 2025. Funding arrangements allowed their contracts to run until December 2025, which keeps their timelines in line with the provincial school closure schedule.
Undoubtedly one of South Africa's largest and most impactful public employment programmes is date, over the past six months, BEEI Phase V has empowered close to 200 000 young South Africans, the majority of whom are women and youth from historically marginalised communities.
These participants were placed across 20 000 schools nationwide, contributing to improved learning environments while bringing income, dignity, and skills into households and communities. Each month, more than R795 million in stipends flowed directly to families a tangible economic uplift that strengthened local economies and offered real support during challenging economic times.
A NATIONAL SUCCESS STORY
Since 2020, the BEEI has demonstrated the transformative impact of coordinated government action. Across all phases, the programme has delivered significant youth employment opportunities, supported learning in thousands of schools, and broadened access to economic participation for young people.
Phase V, implemented under tight timelines and a dual-funding model, stands as a model of operational excellence achieving full delivery and zero payment failures. This success reflects strengthened systems, effective intergovernmental coordination, and a shared commitment to ensuring that young people receive opportunities that matter.
The BEEI has offered far more than temporary employment; it has provided a genuine bridge to opportunity for thousands of young people. Participants were equipped with structured workplace experience in classrooms and school administration, alongside accredited training in digital literacy, reading support, and life skills. These interventions have equipped Assistants with transferable skills and qualifications that strengthen their employability well beyond the duration of the programme. Through their daily contributions, they have strengthened teaching, supported learner wellbeing, and enhanced school management systems in meaningful and lasting ways.
Throughout Phase V, the initiative benefitted from decisive and proactive ministerial support, which ensured that the ambitions of participants were continuously protected and that implementation remained uninterrupted.
When administrative complexities briefly affected stipend processing, strong oversight and coordinated intervention at the highest level enabled rapid resolution, stabilising the programme and ensuring that young people received their stipends timeously. This leadership safeguarded both the integrity of the initiative and the wellbeing of more than 200 000 participants whose livelihoods depended on it.
The presence of BEEI Assistants has had a measurable impact on the basic education sector. Their support has improved reading outcomes, strengthened classroom management, enhanced the administrative capacity of educators, and contributed to greater learner engagement and wellbeing. Their work demonstrates the powerful dual impact of the BEEI bolstering educational quality while uplifting communities through targeted youth employment.
As Phase V concludes on 30 November 2025, every Assistant leaves with more than experience: they depart with professional training aligned to future career pathways, renewed confidence and purpose, and a dignified income that supported their families over the past six months. The Department is finalising the Phase V Close-Out Report, which will provide comprehensive evidence of the programme's impact and outline key insights to guide the next generation of youth employment interventions in the basic education sector.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION
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