The Eastern Cape’s unemployment crisis has reached a level that can no longer be ignored or softened by policy language.
It is a lived reality defined by shrinking opportunities, rising dependency and a rural economy that has steadily collapsed over decades.
Recent labour data shows the province’s unemployment rate stands at about 39.5%, with some estimates placing it above 40%, making it the highest in the country.
When discouraged work-seekers are included, the expanded unemployment measure rises above 50%, meaning more than half of the working-age population is economically excluded.
The crisis is most visible among young people and women.
More than half of the youth in the Eastern Cape are unemployed, with the rate estimated at about 54%.
Nationally, youth unemployment stands at 46.1%, already one of the highest in the world, but the Eastern Cape far exceeds even this level.
Women face an even deeper layer of exclusion, with 48.1% of young women not in employment, education or training, compared to 42.2% of men.
These disparities are reflected in household realities: more than 65% of households in the province depend on social grants, while only about 49% derive income from wages or salaries, illustrating how weak formal economic participation has become.
These statistics reveal a structural imbalance: an economy disconnected from its strongest natural asset — land.
The Eastern Cape remains largely rural, yet the rural economy has been hollowed out.
Villages such as Sheshegu, along with areas around Dikeni, Middledrift and Peddie, once sustained livelihoods through agriculture but now sit surrounded by idle fields.
This collapse of agricultural activity has not only reduced food production but also eliminated a critical source of employment and local economic circulation.
Rebuilding agriculture as a serious economic sector, rather than subsistence activity, presents one of the most realistic solutions to this crisis.
Across the province, there is significant potential to revive previously cultivated land, much of which has become unproductive due to lack of support, infrastructure and access to markets.
Restoring these fields, while opening opportunities to families who were historically excluded from land access, would broaden participation and increase output.
Where families are unable or unwilling to farm, flexible leasing systems could ensure that land remains productive rather than idle.
A major constraint facing rural farmers is not only production, but the inability to sell their products efficiently.
The absence of structured, permanent market systems means that agriculture rarely translates into sustainable income.
Establishing organised rural market hubs in areas such as Dikeni and Peddie would allow farmers to sell produce, access inputs and connect with buyers in a formal and reliable way.
Without these market linkages, agricultural output will continue to struggle to reach meaningful scale.
International experience shows that agriculture can become a powerful job creator when it is supported by markets and processing industries.
In Ethiopia, agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, accounting for more than 70% of employment and supporting the livelihoods of most of the population.
More recent estimates still place agricultural employment at about 60% of total employment, indicating its continued central role in job creation.
Government policies in Ethiopia have focused on integrating smallholder farmers into markets, improving irrigation and expanding agribusiness, all of which have contributed to employment growth and reduced pressure on urban centres.
Rwanda provides another example of how agriculture can drive inclusive growth.
The sector accounts for about 65% of employment and has played a significant role in reducing poverty from about 60% in 2000 to 38% by 2017.
Growth in agriculture, combined with structured market access for smallholder farmers and targeted support for women and youths, has strengthened rural incomes and expanded economic participation.
Programmes linking farmers directly to markets and providing access to inputs and services have been central to this progress.
For the Eastern Cape, these lessons point to the importance of agro-processing as part of agricultural revival.
Without processing facilities, the value of agricultural production is lost outside rural communities.
The reintroduction of abattoirs in areas such as Dikeni and Middledrift would enable livestock farmers to access formal markets, particularly in regions rich in sweetveld, which are well suited for grazing.
Similarly, establishing facilities to process crops such as maize, vegetables and dairy products would create jobs beyond farming itself, extending economic activity into logistics, packaging and distribution.
Climate conditions in the province require a targeted approach.
Drier areas would benefit from drought-resistant crops such as sorghum and millet, while fertile zones could support higher-value agricultural production.
Aligning crop choices with environmental conditions would improve productivity and resilience, particularly as climate variability becomes more pronounced.
Infrastructure remains a critical factor in determining success.
Roads such as the route between Dikeni and Peddie illustrate how poor infrastructure isolates farmers from markets.
Without reliable transport networks, even productive farming areas remain disconnected from economic centres.
Investment in rural roads, irrigation systems and logistics is therefore essential to ensure that agricultural output can reach markets efficiently.
At an institutional level, the approach to organising farmers must be inclusive and flexible.
While co-operatives have long been promoted, experience shows that not all farmers benefit equally from such structures.
A broader model that accommodates both co-operatives and independent farmers would ensure wider participation, allowing individuals, families and groups to contribute according to their capacity.
Ultimately, the Eastern Cape’s unemployment crisis reflects not just a shortage of jobs, but a deeper failure to connect people, land and markets into a functioning economic system.
The examples of Ethiopia and Rwanda show that agriculture, when supported by policy, infrastructure and market access, can become a major source of employment and poverty reduction.
For the Eastern Cape, the land remains available, communities remain rooted in rural areas and the need for economic inclusion is urgent.
What is required now is a decisive and co-ordinated effort to turn agriculture into the centrepiece of economic recovery and ensure that rural communities become active participants in the province’s future rather than spectators of its decline.
- Siphiwo Fumbeza, author of ‘Beyond Grandmother’s Mandate: The Fathers Who Forge My Path’, writes in his personal capacity.
