Trapped in Limbo: Why South Africa’s Gen Z Is Struggling to Build a Future

Trapped in Limbo: Why South Africa’s Gen Z Is Struggling to Build a Future

Despite being the most educated and digitally fluent generation in South Africa’s history, many Gen Zsthose born between 1997 and 2012 are feeling stuck. They’ve got the degrees, the skills, and the drive, but the economy simply isn’t keeping up.

According to new research by The TEFL Academy, South African Gen Zs today earn roughly the same as millennials did back in 2005, yet they face living costs that have tripled. Housing, food, and transport have become nearly impossible to afford without family support, leaving many unable to achieve financial independenceeven into their late 20s.

A Generation Stuck in Economic Limbo

The South African Union of Students (SAUS) says this growing inequality isn’t just about moneyit’s about dignity and fairness. SAUS spokesperson Thato Masekoa called it “deeply concerning” that young people are being forced to delay basic milestones like moving out, buying homes, or starting families.

“The reality is that young people are being failed by an economy that rewards qualifications with unemployment, underpayment and unaffordable living conditions,” Masekoa said.

It’s a bleak cycle: even with higher education and digital skills, many graduates remain unemployed or underpaid. Entry-level salaries haven’t budged in two decades, but the cost of survival has skyrocketed.

Education Without Opportunity

For a generation that grew up believing education was the ticket out of poverty, this stagnation feels like betrayal. The TEFL Academy study describes the situation as “intergenerational inequality”a widening gap between what young people are told to expect and what reality delivers.

Unlike millennials who could once dream of financial stability after a few years of work, Gen Zs find themselves juggling multiple gigs or relying on family for rent. The independence that defined young adulthood is now out of reach for most.

The Human Cost Behind the Numbers

Social media has become an outlet for frustration. On TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), young South Africans share their financial struggles through memes, videos, and candid rants about “adulting” in a broken economy. A common sentiment: “We’re doing everything right, and still can’t afford life.”

This growing despair isn’t just emotional, it’s reshaping the country’s social fabric. With fewer people buying homes or starting families, South Africa’s economic growth remains stagnant. The ripple effect touches everything from real estate to small business spending.

What Needs to Change

Masekoa and SAUS have urged government and the private sector to step incalling for better regulation of entry-level pay, stronger graduate employment programs, and more youth-centered economic policies.

They argue that South Africa cannot afford to lose an entire generation of potential innovators, teachers, and entrepreneurs to burnout or emigration.

“This is not simply a financial issue,” Masekoa added. “It’s a social justice issue. The right to work, live independently, and build a future should not be reserved for a privileged few.”

At its core, South Africa’s Gen Z crisis highlights a painful contradiction: the country has one of the most youthful, connected populations in the world, but one of the slowest-growing economies. Unless systemic change happens, the generation built for the digital age may never fully step into it.

For now, many Gen Zs are stuck, working hard, staying hopeful, but waiting for the economy to finally catch up with their potential.

{Source: The Citizen}

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