Orderin and Afrika Tikkun Partner To Foster An Employment Ready Ecosystem In SA

In the face of rising unemployment in South Africa, B2B delivery-as-a-service platform OrderIn has launched a programme that aims to create opportunities for unemployed South African youth.

With unemployment in South Africa hitting a new record high of 34.4%  in the second quarter of 2021 (according to the latest data released by Statistics South Africa in August) – there has never been a more crucial time to galvanise the creation of initiatives with the sole purpose of combating unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country.

The data shows that the youth are even harder hit – with 64% of young people aged 18-24 and 42.9% of those aged 25-35, currently unemployed.

To address this crisis and ultimately contribute to the overall development of the economy and youth employment in the country, Orderin has partnered with a social enterprise, Afrika Tikkun Services to create a youth employment training programme designed to mitigate barriers around financial support, training and employment opportunities for local youth.

The initiative is part of the Youth Employment Services (YES) programme, which builds partnerships between the government, civil society and business to create jobs.

As part of the programme, Afrika Tikkun will provide previously disadvantaged young people aged between 18 and 35, with work readiness training, driving lessons and license fees which will prepare them to become part of Orderin’s delivery ecosystem.

Orderin will train the rider, place them in one of their delivery zones and provide ongoing mentorship. Orderin and Afrika Tikkun Services have also partnered with McDonald’s who have donated bikes, and who will provide delivery volumes for drivers through their Scoot service. For the 12-month period of the programme, the riders will be employed by Afrika Tikkun Services, and receive a regular monthly salary.

CEO of Orderin Thembani Biyam says “In South Africa today, there are 7.8 million people who are unemployed. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen unprecedented growth of the on-demand industry but this has not translated into increased employment opportunities. At Orderin, we are aware that our business ecosystem has the potential to make a real difference – by creating jobs and earning opportunities in that system and by helping other businesses grow their offering, and in turn, the number of people they are able to employ.”

“This partnership with Afrika Tikkun Services allows us to address some of the barriers to entry into the working world. Many young South Africans do not have access to the resources required to overcome the various cost, training and employment barriers that exist in the current economy,” Biyam says.

In scaling its business nationally to meet the growing need for on-demand delivery, the partnership with Afrika Tikkun Services seemed an obvious choice. “As an organisation that is passionate about growing, nurturing and establishing young lives from ‘cradle to career’ with sustainable opportunities, it made complete sense to partner with a business like Orderin, who operate in a fast-growing industry with real potential for change,” says Onyi Nwaneri, CEO  at Afrika Tikkun Services.

“Lack of access to resources, particularly for those who reside in underserved areas of South Africa, has long been a key factor in continued and rising unemployment rates for otherwise eager to learn and talented young minds. We are incredibly excited to see the positive impact of the program on the people it serves, and the economy at large,” concludes Biyam.