South Africa

The National Youth Development Agency, the Department of Housing and Human Settlements, Habitat for Humanity, the City of Johannesburg, and the Institute for Education and Training for Industry have launched YouthBuild in Ivory Park, a sprawling informal settlement where young people will build 100 houses this year, while learning technical skills and advancing academic competencies.

Phase 1 of the program wrapped up at the end of 2010, and the National Youth Development Agency plans to expand the program to 6 additional locations over the next two years.  The South Africa program features youth entrepreneurship and enterprise development as a centerpiece of the training. 



In partnership with YouthBuild International and the National Youth Development Agency, and with support from USAID/Southern Africa Mission, Waterberg FET College has launched a pilot YouthBuild program to enhance the preparation and training of students for employment and self-employment opportunities. 

The pilot has been developed as part of the U.S. - South Africa Partnership for Skills Development, which is a three-year, capacity-building initiative managed by the American Council on Education.  YBI commissioned a comprehensive value chain analysis of the construction industry in South Africa in order to identify the most productive livelihood opportunities for young people in this growth sector.