Minister for Youth and Gender Affairs, Lesego Chombo, has during a recent kgotla meeting in Mochudi announced that the Youth Development Fund (YDF) has supported over 500 youth businesses since its inception in the 2009/10 financial year, with P41.7 million invested to date. Of those funded, 469 businesses remain operational.
Chombo revealed that in the 2024/25 financial year, 54 youth businesses received funding totalling P5.3 million. Current YDF funding caps are set at P100,000 for sole proprietors and P450,000 for partnerships. The government is working on reforms to improve access to the fund.
She highlighted challenges hindering youth entrepreneurship, including complex business entry policies, limited access to land, high startup costs, and social issues such as early pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and child abuse. Villages like Oodi, Modipane, and Dinokeng in Kgatleng are particularly affected by youth unemployment and poverty.
Photo Credit: MYGA
