The focus is agriculture in Groblersdal Limpopo a small town in South Africa. It is rich in farming and agriculture but the youth of this area faces a problem of getting stable employment. The agriculture sector may be robust, but the available opportunities for getting a job, combined with changing employment structures, is employing youth hard.
Agricultural Focused Economy – An Overview of Groblersdal
The economy of Groblersdal Limpopo is purely agricultural focused. It is famous for producing citrus fruits, maize, and vegetables. There is currently a growing youthful population in the town, but in regards to employment they have been having a very tough time in getting any job within the agricultural domain. A significant portion of youth comes from farming families or has received agricultural education, but opportunities are scarce. There are innovations in agriculture like increased mechanization, which along with the lack of manual labor employment, has resulted in the youth being unemployed.
Constricting Space: A Problem
Groblersdal is surrounded by vast agricultural land but is unable to develop new industries in the town due to lack of available space. Since agriculture is the primary economic driver, other forms of employment are scarce. The town’s limited capacity for industrial development combined with underdeveloped town facilities creates difficulty in attracting new businesses that would generate increased employment. Although Groblersdal is situated at key transport links, it is at a disadvantage when placed alongside larger cities that appeal to businesses and other skilled professionals.
The Gap in Education and Shortage of Skills
Inhabitants of Groblersdal are children have access to basic education, but not to the more advanced technical skills in agriculture or any other sector. In a developing job market, lack of vocational training and higher education access results in a younger generation not being prepared to step into the workforce. With a primary industry economy, underprepared youth find themselves with a perfect storm of challenges due to the skills gap and minimal potential employment opportunities.
The Consequences Sociologically and Economically of Unemployment
The significant rates of unemployment amongst the youth in Groblersdal community is a matter of concern. It is not surprising to note that a number of youth emigrate to larger cities in search of employment. This contributes further to the underpopulation of the area. This outmigration, more importantly, produces an imbalance by increasing the older proportion within the local population which further deteriorates the community’s ability to maintain the essential farms and businesses in the region.
The remaining people, however, suffer from a lack of employment opportunities which results in psychiatric and social issues such as drug dependency and crimes. In addition, the social problems stemming from unprecedented youth unemployment greatly stages any economic activity and development within Groblersdal. Thus, the amount of economic activity and development that Groblersdal is capable of achieving is severely limited.
Measures to Reduce Unemployment
Understanding the complexity of youth unemployment in Groblersdal rests on the willingness to use a combination of solutions. Firstly, there is a need to invest in education and vocational training relevant to the local economy. For example, modern agriculture oriented skills such as machine operation and training in agro processing and other new agricultural industries should be to the youth.
The creation of new business activities and industries that provide employment beyond farming is important. To achieve this, local governments together with small investors can set up industrial parks or encourage micro business development which will diversify the local economies and provide more jobs for the youth.
Further, fostering the relationship between the agriculture industry and the locals could stimulate new ideas. The development of services such as sustainable agriculture and agritourism can stem from this. These new ideas could prove beneficial as additional sources of income to the community and employment to the youth.
In summary,
The young people of Groblersdal are struggling to find jobs due to the region’s limited geography coupled with a low level of job specialization. Even though agriculture is a primary economic activity, it cannot support the increasing number of young job seekers. Efforts like diversifying the economy, improving education, and setting up new industries would enable Groblersdal to offer its youths the opportunity to improve their lives without having to move out of the region.
