The single sharpest fact is that thousands of working-age adults marched during business hours on June 30, highlighting unemployment and economic exclusion in South Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli addressed the pressing socio-economic issues highlighted during the June 30 marches. The huge turnout of working-age adults during business hours across the province is a signal of the depth of unemployment and economic exclusion that exist in our communities, he said.

The frustration that drove people to march is not simply about undocumented migrants, but at its root about competition for scarce work, pressure on housing, schooling, healthcare, and public safety, Ntuli noted. He added that it also reflects communities that have waited too long for an economy that includes them.

The premier clarified that while it is not a new concern and government has been working to address it, marches require that work to be expedited. The provincial government has been working to address the issue of undocumented foreign nationals operating unlawfully in our township and rural areas, competing unfairly and illegally with South African traders.

The roundtable will unite the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Ithala Development Finance Corporation, KZN chambers of commerce, business associations, municipalities and relevant stakeholders. They will interrogate what is working, what is not, and what must be done differently to ensure that South African-owned township and rural enterprises are supported, protected, and given every opportunity to grow.

Ntuli said the roundtable will ensure that programmes such as spaza shop support, including formalisation, access to finance, business development services, and supply chain integration, are implemented with the urgency and scale that this moment demands.

The stats from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) are a reality check: 5.6 million young people aged 15-34 are employed, while 4.7 million are unemployed. The national unemployment rate stands at 32.7% in Q1: 2026. Those aged 15-24 face the highest unemployment rate at 60.9%, followed by those aged 25-34 at 40.6%.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli says the huge turnout of working-age adults during business hours at the June 30 marches across the province highlights issues around unemployment and economic exclusion.

The scale of their presence in the streets during normal working hours is not merely a logistical observation. It is a signal. It tells us something about the depth of unemployment and economic exclusion that exist in our communities.

Against a backdrop of rising national unemployment, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has identified the June 30 protests as a critical symptom of the scarcity of work.

The stats from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) are a reality check: In the first quarter of 2026, there were 5.6 million young people aged 15-34 who were employed, while 4.7 million were unemployed. The national unemployment rate stands at 32.7% in Q1: 2026. Those aged 15-24 face the highest unemployment rate at 60.9%, followed by those aged 25-34 at 40.6%.

Statistics SA said that according to the QLFS, South Africa’s working-age population was at 42.2 million individuals aged 15-64 in the first quarter of 2026, up by 121,000 compared to quarter 4 of 2025.