Lesufi's office receives R50m boost for second phase of the Nasi Ispani programme

JOHANNESBURG - The office of the Gauteng Premier has received an additional R50 million in funding, earmarked for the second phase of the Nasi Ispani programme.

This is a mass recruitment drive launched by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, creating job opportunities for unemployed youth.

Finance MEC Lebogang Maile tabled his second budget on Tuesday, including allocations to support the next phase of the programme.

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The Gauteng government says the first phase of the Nasi Ispani program provided employment and income opportunities to more than 90,000 young people.

This time around, the province is relaunching the initiative with a stronger focus on skills development and training for youth.

When asked whether the province has the financial backbone to fund the programme, Finance MEC Lebogang Maile responded with a confident “yes”.

"In the 2025/2026 financial year, the office of the premier will receive an additional R50 million to fund Nas’ispani, a skills development initiative spearheaded by the Gauteng City Region Academy. Unemployment remains our biggest challenge, as evidenced by the latest data showing that Gauteng’s unemployment rate increased to 34.7%."

The funds for the programme come from the R1.8 billion that was not spent in the previous financial year.