Why Elevating Artisanal Skills is Key to Revitalising South Africa’s Economy

South Africa continues to face entrenched poverty, high unemployment and widespread low literacy, shaping how many families approach education. In poorer communities, there is a strong belief that success can only be achieved through university degrees, particularly in prestigious fields such as law or medicine. This Opinion piece has been written by Merwyn Naidoo, Group CEO at ACTOM.

This is driven more by stigma and social status than by awareness of labour‑market demand. What is often missing is the recognition that education must align with actual labour market needs.