Services SETA and Takealot have launched a R103 million partnership targeting at least 20000 training, work-experience and income-generating opportunities for youth over three years.
The partnership was announced at Ekurhuleni West TVET College in Katlehong on 29 September 2026, with Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela urging employers to play a greater role in absorbing young people in the workforce.
The programme covers multiple areas, including learnerships, bursaries and digital and entrepreneurial training, plus opportunities in the e-commerce delivery economy.
The purpose of the R103m partnership
The R103 million partnership will create 20000 opportunities over three years.
The investment will cover TVET college Work-Integrated Learning, critical skills bursaries, personal shopper training, driver development, TVET college digital skills, entrepreneur support and income generation in the digital economy.
This is good news for students, because the programme will not be limited to graduates.
There is particular potential for youth who are still studying to gain work exposure while working towards their qualifications.
What the TVET work-experience focus means
One of the most tangible elements of the programme is the work-integrated learning opportunities.
The Department of Higher Education and Training has repeatedly highlighted the need to align education with workplace needs.
A 2025 agreement between DHET and Takealot, covering TVET and community college students, already involved a work-integrated learning framework focused on logistics and technology-enabled business.
The new SETA partnership builds on this relationship.
The digital-economy and online-business focus
Employment is increasingly linked to the digital economy.
Training under the partnership includes digital skills for small businesses, potentially equipping entrepreneurs with the tools needed to operate online businesses and participate in the e-commerce economy.
The Takealot Township Economy Initiative was announced in 2025, targeting township business and entrepreneurs.
The 2025 agreement between DHET and Takealot identifiedSETA support and township business participation in online commerce as a cooperation area.
A similar focus is evident in the new partnership.
Personal shopper and driver development
The e-commerce delivery economy is also a focus of the partnership.
It includes personal shopper training, and driver development opportunities.
This should not be taken to mean that all 20000 participants will gain regular employment.
The 20000 number includes training, work-experience and income-generating opportunities.
The nature of the participation will vary depending on the relevant programme.
Small business and entrepreneur training
Entrepreneurship is another component of the programme.
Notably, the partnership includes digital-skills training for small businesses.
This is important for young people who want to create businesses, rather than be absorbed as employees.
An e-commerce platform can enable a small enterprise to reach customers outside its immediate trading area.
The earlier 2025 DHET-Takealot agreement identified support for township entrepreneurs and SMEs through e-commerce as a cooperation priority.
The new partnership highlights the skills-development and economic-opportunity connection.
The call for employer support
At the launch, Minister Buti Manamela used the partnership to call on South African employers to support young people.
Manamela stressed that training needed to be followed by economic participation, rather than being a closed-off experience.
Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim made a similar point, emphasising the need for young people to move from learning into the economy.
The statement is notable, because the partnership is premised on the need for combined government and business resources.
Services SETA has the funding and skills-development component, and Takealot provides an operational environment targeting the e-commerce economy.
Understanding the 20000 opportunity figure
The number 20000 should not be taken as 20000 identical jobs.
The launch announcement specifically mentioned training, work-experience and income-generating opportunities.
This is an important distinction for young people, because a TVET work-integrated learning student will have a different type of participation to a digital skills or entrepreneurship participant.
Applicants should be aware that each opportunity will have its own eligibility and application requirements, rather than automatically qualifying for the entire 20000.
The expanding Takealot-DHET relationship
The 29 September 2026 announcement reflects an evolving relationship between the government and Takealot.
In September 2025, DHET and Takealot signed an agreement covering education, skills development and employment, including TVET work-integrated learning, bursary expansion, textbook provision and township business support through SETA collaboration.
In May 2026, DHET announced that the partnership was being expanded to create 500 income-earning opportunities for students during their studies.
That programme included flexible training options and SETA-accredited qualifications.
The new R103 million partnership is therefore part of the developing relationship.
Opportunities for young South Africans
The most promising aspect of the announcement for young people is the variety of options.
A TVET student can access work-integrated learning, while a student may receive a critical skills bursary.
Someone interested in e-commerce can access digital or operational training, and a small business owner can receive entrepreneurial support to participate in the online economy.
All these opportunities share the common theme of linking learning to the economy, but the application process will differ depending on the specific programme.
What young applicants should know
Young people should not be misled by social media posts claiming to represent the entire R103 million opportunity.
The programme contains multiple components, each with its own criteria and application process.
Students should follow official announcements from Services SETA, DHET and Takealot rather than using unofficial posts as a basis for application.
In particular, young people should be aware of:
- Whether the opportunity applies to TVET students, graduates, entrepreneurs or another group
- The qualification or skill requirements
- Whether the opportunity involves work-experience, training or income
- The application start and closing dates
- The official application process
- Whether there is a stipend or payment attached to the opportunity
- Whether the opportunity involves temporary training or employment
The challenge of linking training to economic participation
The partnership comes at a time when South Africa is emphasising the need to integrate post-school education with the economy.
DHET has identified TVET colleges as a priority in preparing young people for skills needs, and in September 2026, Manamela urged young people to apply early for TVET college opportunities for 2027, stressing the importance of TVET colleges within the post-school system.
In that context, the Takealot and Services SETA partnership provides an example of how a government skills-development agency and a private-sector company can collaborate to create work-integrated learning and digital-economic participation opportunities.
Whether the programme will achieve its intended outcomes will depend on implementation, participation and the linkage between training and employment.
For now, the confirmed development is the launch of the R103 million partnership and its targeting of at least 20000 young people across multiple opportunities over three years.
Key facts
Detail Information
Partnership Services SETA and Takealot
Investment announced Approximately R103 million
Target At least 20000 young people
Period Three years
Launch venue Ekurhuleni West TVET College, Katlehong
Focus Skills development, workplace experience, income generation and entrepreneurship
TVET component Work-Integrated Learning
Other areas Critical skills bursaries, personal shopper training, driver development and digital skills
Entrepreneurship Digital support for small businesses and township economy participation
Sources
The primary reporting used for this article includes the 29 September 2026 launch coverage by IOL/The Star and previous official SAnews/DHET reporting on the Takealot partnership.
Editorial policy
Our articles are independently written from verified information and are intended to explain opportunities and developments in a useful South African context. We distinguish confirmed programme information from interpretation and do not present training opportunities as guaranteed employment.
Corrections policy
If a material error is identified, it will be checked against the relevant primary source and corrected. Significant factual changes will be clearly reflected in the article.
Disclaimer
The R103 million partnership is a multi-year initiative containing several different programmes. Individual opportunities may have separate eligibility criteria, application dates, funding arrangements and selection processes. Readers should rely on official Services SETA, DHET or Takealot announcements for specific applications and should not pay anyone claiming to guarantee participation.
