When you hear the phrase Get-a-Gig from a company like Vodacom, it’s fair to think it’s a promotion to give away mobile data. Well, you’d be wrong in this case. The true goal for Get-A-Gig is to help the unemployed youth in the country.

Get-A-Gig was launched by Vodacom, through NXT LVL, with the eventual goal of helping a million unemployed South African youth land a job. Or a gig, if you want to be particular.

Unemployment in South Africa is at an all-time high right now. The pandemic (which is apparently over) and corruption are possibly the biggest catalysts for the rise. Data (via Statistics South Africa) suggests that SA’s rate of unemployment rose from 34.9% up to 35.3%, from the last quarter of 2021, to the first quarter of 2022. Looking specifically at youth unemployment, that number is at an insane 65.5%.

Getting a Gig

The way Get-A-Gig works is, Vodacom will match a user up with a basic job designed for anyone. These jobs will be either linked directly with Vodacom, or come from a partner of the company. Vodacom believes this can help young job seekers “Grow, Learn and Earn”. It also helps by offering an extra layer of security during these troubled times.

“Our vision is to make sure that we leave no one behind, especially young people who form a critical part of the country’s future. The launch of Get-A-Gig is yet another way that we at Vodacom strive to fight the rising youth unemployment rate.” Says Jorge Mendes, head of consumer business at Vodacom.

“Our purpose is centred on building a digital society with techco-solutions and an education ecosystem that transforms lives for a better tomorrow.”

The programme is running through Vodacom’s newly revamped NXT LVL platform which was designed to combat this exact problem.