TL;DR — YES Programme for South African Employers (2026)
The YES Programme places unemployed South Africans aged 18–35 in 12-month paid work experiences. Employers can improve their B-BBEE level by up to one full level by participating. Minimum cost is National Minimum Wage (~R4,800/month per participant). The programme works powerfully as a graduate pipeline entry point — combine YES with ShiftMate's free trial-shift platform to identify and evaluate candidates before placement. Registration is via yes4youth.co.za.
The Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme is one of the most powerful instruments available to South African employers for simultaneously addressing youth unemployment, building talent pipelines, and improving B-BBEE compliance. Since its launch in 2018, the programme has created more than 120,000 work experiences for young South Africans — and for employers who use it strategically, it delivers commercial value that far exceeds its cost.
This guide covers everything South African employers need to know about participating in the YES Programme in 2026: how it works, what it costs, how to register, and how to combine it with graduate recruitment for maximum strategic and compliance value. For the broader graduate hiring context, see our complete guide to graduate recruitment in South Africa.
How the YES Programme Works
The YES Programme is a business-led initiative, not a government programme — although it operates within the B-BBEE legislative framework. The mechanics are straightforward:
Employers register with the YES Programme through yes4youth.co.za and commit to placing a specified number of youth in 12-month work experiences.
Participants are placed in quality work experiences within the employer's business. "Quality" means meaningful work that develops skills — not filing or photocopying. Participants must receive a minimum stipend aligned with the National Minimum Wage.
B-BBEE verification recognises the employer's participation. Meeting the YES Programme requirements can improve your B-BBEE level by up to one full level — a significant commercial benefit for businesses competing in procurement-driven markets.
What YES Costs Employers — and What It Returns
The direct cost of a YES placement is the participant's stipend (minimum R27.58/hour, approximately R4,800/month full-time), plus any training or programme administration costs. For a 12-month placement, budget R60,000–R80,000 per participant including all overheads.
The return is a B-BBEE level improvement of up to one full level. For businesses competing in environments where B-BBEE levels determine procurement outcomes, this improvement can be worth multiples of the programme cost in secured contracts and supplier preference.
Additional returns include: 12 months of real-world evaluation of potential permanent employees, skills development contributions toward your B-BBEE scorecard, and positive employer brand positioning as a youth-employment champion.
Combining YES with Graduate Recruitment
The most strategic use of the YES Programme for employers is as a pipeline — not a standalone initiative. Here is the model that delivers maximum value:
Source graduates through ShiftMate. Use ShiftMate's free platform to source and evaluate graduates through paid trial shifts. You see their actual work performance before making any commitment. This eliminates the primary risk of YES placement — investing 12 months in a participant who doesn't fit.
Place proven graduates into YES positions. Graduates who perform well in their trial shift enter your YES Programme with a strong foundation — you already know they can do the work, and they already understand your business environment.
Convert high performers to permanent roles. After the 12-month YES placement, you have extensive performance data to support permanent hiring decisions. The graduate transitions into your graduate programme or a permanent role with minimal ramp-up time.
This three-stage approach — trial shift, YES placement, permanent hire — compounds your B-BBEE benefits while building a genuine talent pipeline. The trial-shift stage costs nothing (ShiftMate is free), the YES stage delivers a B-BBEE level improvement, and the permanent hire delivers long-term talent value.
Eligibility Requirements
Employer Requirements
- Must be a registered South African business
- Must be a B-BBEE-measured entity (annual revenue above the applicable threshold)
- Must commit to placing a specified number of youth relative to workforce size
- Must provide quality work experiences — not menial or administrative make-work
- Must pay at least the National Minimum Wage
Participant Requirements
- South African citizen or permanent resident
- Aged 18–35
- Currently unemployed
- No specific qualification requirement (ranges from matric holders to graduates)
How to Register for the YES Programme
Registration is through the YES website at yes4youth.co.za. The process involves business verification, commitment to participant numbers, and agreement to programme terms including minimum stipend and quality work experience requirements.
Once registered, you can source participants through multiple channels — including ShiftMate for trial-shift-evaluated candidates. The YES Programme does not restrict your sourcing methods; it sets standards for the quality and duration of the work experience you provide.
Common Mistakes Employers Make with YES
Treating it as cheap labour. YES participants who do menial work for minimum wage leave negative impressions — and word spreads. Treat the programme as a genuine talent development investment.
No conversion pathway. If you have no plan to hire top performers permanently, you're investing in development that benefits your competitors. Build conversion pathways from the start.
Poor sourcing. Placing random participants without evaluation leads to high attrition and wasted investment. Use ShiftMate's trial-shift model to evaluate candidates on real work before placing them in 12-month YES positions.
Source and evaluate YES candidates free on ShiftMate →
