VerifiedSA Youth is the government’s national network for young people looking for work, run as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention. More than five million young people have registered. It is free, it is zero-rated on every major network, and a large share of the learnerships and YES placements advertised in South Africa are posted there.
What zero-rated actually means
Browsing SAYouth.mobi, registering and applying cost you no airtime and no data on MTN, Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom and Virgin. The moment you follow a link off the site, to an employer’s own portal for example, normal data charges start again. Do that part where there is Wi-Fi if data is tight.
Who can register
- You are between 18 and 34 years old.
- You have a South African ID number, or a permanent residence or refugee identity number.
- You are unemployed and looking for work, training or a learnership.
- You have a cellphone number or an email address where you can be reached.
There is no education requirement to register. Opportunities on the network range from work that needs no Matric to programmes that ask for a diploma.
Registering, step by step
- Go to SAYouth.mobi on your phone and choose to join the network.
- Enter your ID number and your cellphone number, then the one-time PIN it sends you.
- Answer the questions about where you live, your highest grade passed and the kind of work you want.
- Complete your profile to 100%. Incomplete profiles are filtered out of most employer searches.
- Search for opportunities near you, open one, read the requirements and apply inside the site.
Keep your cellphone number current. SA Youth and employers contact you by SMS, and a number you no longer use is the most common reason people never hear back.
When registration will not work
| What happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| The site says your ID is already registered | You registered before. Use the sign-in option and reset with the one-time PIN sent to your number. |
| You never receive the PIN | Check that the number you typed is the one in your hand, wait a few minutes, then request it again. Network delays are common in the evening. |
| Your number has changed | Call 0800 72 72 72 and ask a guide to update the number on your profile. |
| The page will not load | Zero-rating covers SAYouth.mobi only. If you opened a link to another site, you need data for that one. |
| You are over 34 | You cannot register. Look at employer careers pages and public service adverts instead, which set their own age limits. |
Getting help
- Call 0800 72 72 72. It is free, and the line is open on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00, excluding public holidays.
- Email info@sayouth.co.za if your problem needs documents or screenshots.
- Use the WhatsApp self-help service linked from the site for the common questions.
- Never pay anyone to register you or to move your application up a list. The network is free and no one can do that.
What you will find on the network
- Learnerships from employers and SETA-funded providers.
- YES placements, the 12-month paid work experiences that YES partners advertise.
- Entry-level jobs that do not require experience, in retail, security, warehousing and services.
- Short work-readiness courses and CV help.
- Public employment programmes, including provincial and municipal opportunities.
SA Youth is not the only place to look. Employers still advertise on their own careers pages, which is why our employer list links straight to them, and JobJack covers entry-level work as well.
Frequently asked questions
Does SA Youth cost anything?
No. Registering, browsing and applying are free, and the site is zero-rated, so it uses no data on the major networks.
What is the SA Youth number?
The toll-free line is 0800 72 72 72, open on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00, excluding public holidays.
Can I register if I am 35?
No. The network is for people aged 18 to 34. Above that, apply directly to employers and to public service adverts, which set their own limits.
Does registering guarantee a job?
No. It puts your profile in front of employers who recruit through the network, and it lets you apply in a few taps. You still compete with other applicants.
