South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis is entrenched and escalating, with the lack of practical work experience emerging as a key barrier to change. In high-demand sectors like rail, where technical skills are essential, apprenticeship programmes are proving to be a critical bridge between education and employment.
Official data from Stats SA shows that in Q1 2025, nearly five million young people aged 15 to 34 were out of work, and six in ten had never held a job. With overall youth unemployment at 46.1 %, and even higher for those aged 15 to 24 (62.4 %), young South Africans are being locked out of opportunity by a cycle of inexperience which results in exclusion.
Traxtion’s Diesel Electrical Fitter apprenticeship programme is working directly to break that cycle, building careers from the workshop up, and 29-year-old Keneilwe Tekane knows what a valuable bridge this is.
A matriculant of a technical high school, Keneilwe came into what she describes as “a man’s world” determined to rewrite it. She chose Traxtion’s apprenticeship programme because it provides real-time learning on the same site, backed by dedicated mentorship. “You immediately see what you learn, and how it works.” That blend, she says, is rare and powerfully effective.
Within three years, Keneilwe mastered critical technical skills such as time-delay electrical switching, skills that extend far beyond locomotives and into everyday life. These outcomes matter in a country that needs more artisans. The National Development Plan, which sets a national target of 30,000 artisans per year by 2030, underscores how apprenticeships can empower sectors critical to infrastructure and industrial growth.
As rail underpins mining, automotive, and manufacturing sectors, equipping a new generation of skilled artisans is critical to keeping Africa’s industrial engines moving. So, what makes this apprenticeship more than just a training course?
At Traxtion’s Rail Services Hub in Rosslyn, Pretoria, learning and working happen in the same space. This is a deliberate setup that provides apprentices with immediate, hands-on exposure from day one. Rather than being left to navigate the technical world on their own, they are mentored by seasoned professionals who guide them through the demands of the trade.
The training is not just theoretical. Apprentices master everything from the fundamentals of workplace safety to advanced diagnostic skills, ensuring they are not just certified, but truly job ready. It is a programme designed to instil confidence and capability, the kind that does not fade once the textbooks are closed.
And the outcomes speak for themselves. Since 2003, 45 apprentices have completed the programme, and at least 95% of them have gone on to become full-time employees at Traxtion. Many, like Keneilwe, who was also recently named the 2025 Apprentice of the Year at the Traxtion Excellence Awards, are now carving out paths in specialist areas, a clear sign that the programme provides a foundation for long-term careers in the rail industry.
“I want to specialise in commissioning diagnosis. That is where I see my future, being part of the team solving technical faults and keeping the trains moving. This programme did not just teach me how to use tools, it taught me how to think, solve problems, and create space for me in this industry,” she says.
Nnoni Mohlaphuli, Traxtion’s Brand, Communications and Marketing Manager explains “Apprenticeships should be more than just vocational training. They should offer real solutions to the “no experience, no job” dilemma and, in doing so, open doors that would ordinarily be shut. For South Africa’s youth, and the sectors rebuilding our infrastructure, experience is everything”.