'I wasn’t attacking the youth at all' — DJ Zinhle on unemployment in Mzansi

DJ Zinhle has issued an apology after being lambasted for her take on unemployment in South Africa.

A clip of the Umlilo hitmaker's interview on 702 recently surfaced on social media where she said; “One thing about the South African youth is not just that they are unemployed, a lot of them are unemployable. They don't have the skill required. It bugs me how long it takes for us to fill positions as Era. Just to find the right person for our shops. It takes longer than it should in a country that has so much unemployment.”

Zinhle, who has six shops in Guateng, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, came under fire with many questioning whether she was suggesting the youth of South Africa are lazy. 

In a series of X posts, Zinhle clarified her views and apologised to those who were offended. 

“I apologise if I offended anyone. I wasn’t attacking the youth. As a small-business owner I employ and train people but this doesn’t start to solve the problems we face as South African youth,” she wrote.

“I could do more with support from government. How do we upskill our youth so they are ready for employment? Are we in denial that we are not getting the jobs we want because we do not have the skills required? Are we in denial that not all the people are getting the education they need to be employable?

“You guys are speaking from a one-sided view of graduates who have matric, a diploma and so on and can’t get jobs. I’m not saying they don’t need assistance, they do, but we need to think about the youth holistically so we can challenge the people in power.

“This is not because they are lazy, it is because there are no opportunities. I hope you forgive me for offending you but this was not my intention. I will continue with my small businesses to do my part in training and upskilling the youth where I can.”