KEY POINTS
- DRDGOLD and The Innovation Hub will train 50 unemployed youth in Gauteng.
- The program focuses on mobile repair, data annotation, and graphic design.
- DRDGOLD has committed R2.5 million to support this initiative.
The Innovation Hub, a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, has signed a memorandum of understanding with DRDGOLD’s Ergo operation, a gold tailings retreatment company listed on the NYSE and JSE, to provide skills training and business incubation for 50 unemployed youth.
The program will focus on two areas within Ekurhuleni—Duduza and Tsakane—and Soweto, equipping participants with skills in mobile device repair, data annotation, and graphic design. The training courses will run for six to nine months, starting in October.
The Innovation Hub will handle participant selection, with details to be communicated to the target groups soon. DRDGOLD’s Ergo operation has committed R2.5 million ( $145,000) to the program through its social and labor plan.
Aiming to address youth unemployment and foster economic growth
With youth unemployment in South Africa at 59 percent for those aged 15 to 24 and 40 percent for those aged 25 to 34, DRDGOLD and The Innovation Hub aim to foster technology-driven businesses that create sustainable jobs and contribute to the economic growth of Gauteng province.
“This strategic partnership between The Innovation Hub and Ergo demonstrates a shared commitment to promoting innovation, skills development, and entrepreneurship in communities,” DRDGOLD said in a statement.
According to a report by Mining Weekly, the partnership aligns with South Africa’s National Skills Development Strategy and DRDGOLD’s commitment to meaningful social investment in its host communities.
DRDGOLD human and social capital senior manager Wayne Swanepoel said the collaboration aims to reduce youth unemployment and enhance the economic participation of young people by leveraging the expertise of both organizations.
