Munyai Uadivha, 23, is so desperate to find work that he queued for more than 20 hours, praying for any kind of job in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) during a mass recruitment drive in Limpopo this week.
Undeterred by the 31°C heat and a possible mismatch between his agriculture qualifications and what the defence force does, Uadivha and hundreds of other hopeful youths packed the Thohoyandou stadium for two days to file their CVs.
Like most of the attendees, Uadivha heard about the jobs campaign via social media and word of mouth. He has been unemployed since he graduated in 2024.
“I’m willing to do whatever job I can be offered because my family is starting to give up on me ever getting a job,” he told Sowetan.
Uadivha arrived at the stadium at 4am on Monday.
“There were already 429 people in front of me. I queued until the SANDF closed at 3pm, and unfortunately, I could not submit because there were still a lot of people in front of me,” he said.
But Uadivha didn’t give up.
“I arrived at the stadium around 6am today [Tuesday] and I was able to submit my CV around 3pm,” he told Sowetan.
“I’m willing to do whatever job I can be offered because my family is starting to give up on me ever getting a job.” — Munyai Uadivha
Uadivha said transport to the stadium cost him R160 that he got from his mother, a security guard, who is the only person working in the family.
“My father and three older siblings are unemployed.”
Uadivha said he was willing to take any job that comes his way.
“I have realised that jobs in agriculture are scarce, and I am willing to take anything because waking up and doing nothing the whole day is frustrating,” he said.
Lance Corporal Letlhogonolo Edwin Moilwa said the SANDF recruitment drive included a career exhibition, and the youth were encouraged to apply for the military skills development system for 2027. The event drew more than 1,000 youths daily.
The campaign happened during the announcement of the fourth-quarter labour force survey yesterday, which showed that the unemployment rate has slightly declined to 31.4%.
Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke said the queues in Venda were a true reflection of how the youth have become desperate for work.
“Those young people that have been walking and queuing since Saturday and continue to stream towards Thohoyandou stadium are just [the tip of] an iceberg of young people we have always reported about at Stats SA,” Maluleke said.
Another graduate who went to try her luck yesterday was Thato Theko, originally from Johannesburg.
She had been sitting at home since finishing her bachelor of information technology in business systems degree from Rosebank College in Braamfontein.
“I moved to Limpopo because my mother relocated this side for work purposes,” she said. “I don’t want to wait around for an IT job. I don’t want to just sit around for the whole year. I am trying my luck. Maybe next year I will still be without an IT job, so if the army calls me, I will take the job.”
Freddie Bebeda, 58, from Sibasa, Tshififi, went to the stadium to “submit a CV for my daughter. She is at college doing her second year there and just wanted to try her luck,” he said.
Phathutshedzo Ndou, 25, from Maniini, Thohoyandou, graduated with a mechanical engineering diploma over two years ago and has been idling at home, unable to find work.
“I came here and applied, as I am looking at using my mechanics qualification in the army,” he said. “I have tried to seek opportunities for two years without any luck. Yesterday, I borrowed the taxi fare to sleep in Thohoyandou. I got here early in the morning, and I hope I will get a call back. It is very depressing to stay at home while I am qualified.”
Sowetan
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