The publication of the first Working on Infrastructure opportunities on the SA Youth Mobi platform marks a seismic shift in how EPWP recruitment is conducted. It moves away from informal, discretionary processes towards a transparent, digital system.
Importantly, this is a promise kept by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, who committed upon taking office to reform EPWP and tackle the political patronage, gatekeeping and abuse that have plagued access to opportunities.
Digitising recruitment removes the human hand at the point where manipulation can occur. Opportunities can now be visible, rules-based and fairly matched, while the zero-rated SA Youth Mobi platform goes as far as ensuring applicants do not need airtime or mobile data to access them.
Working on Infrastructure goes further by combining longer-duration opportunities with practical training, workplace exposure, mentorship and pathways towards permanent employment.
This is a major advancement in making public employment fairer, more transparent and focused on building skills and long-term opportunity.
The next step must be to learn from this pilot and, where successful, roll out digital, rules-based recruitment across similar government employment programmes.
Public employment should never depend on who you know, your political connections, or the discretion of a gatekeeper. It should be accessible fairly to every eligible South African.