Mr Price Foundation and Zapper launch bold initiative to combat youth unemployment

In a bold new partnership, Mr Price Foundation and Zapper have joined forces to address South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis. Leveraging Zapper’s streamlined digital payment solutions, the partnership seeks to raise awareness and drive donations for Mr Price Foundation’s Hope4Youth campaign.

By making donating as simple as scanning a QR code, Zapper breaks down barriers to giving, empowering individuals and businesses to seamlessly support Mr Price Foundation’s transformative youth development programmes.

Founded by Mr Price Group 20 years ago as a registered non-profit, Mr Price Foundation stands out as a leader in youth empowerment. Donations will directly support the Foundation’s mission to empower youth (aged 15-34) with sustainable economic opportunities.

Empowering youth through tech

Since its launch in 2014, Zapper has established itself as a trusted leader in South Africa’s digital payment space, serving over 1 million customers and connecting to 15 million more through partner apps.

By harnessing this significant reach, Zapper is set to raise R500,000 in support of Mr Price Foundation’s Hope4Youth initiative by the end of 2025.

“At Zapper, we’re on a mission to use our technology not only to facilitate transactions but to drive meaningful social change. By creating a platform where donations can flow effortlessly into the Foundation’s proven youth development programmes, we’re making it easier than ever for our community to support South Africa’s youth,” said Zapper CEO Mike Bryer.

Building on two decades of impact

With a commitment to being “Your Youth Empowerment Champion”, the Foundation has made significant strides in combating youth unemployment since 2005. South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis affects 45.5% of youth, aged 15-34. Challenges such as inadequate access to quality education, a skills mismatch, slow economic growth and structural inequalities underline the urgent need to expand initiatives like Hope4Youth.

“Through our partnership with Zapper, we have the chance to accelerate our programmes and rapidly extend our reach to more young people,” said Mr Price Foundation Executive Director Octavius Phukubye.

“If every Zapper user and merchant contributes a small donation, we can drive a monumental shift for youth economic inclusion and economic growth aspirations,” Phukubye said.

 Transforming lives through Hope4Youth

Donations raised will directly benefit the Foundation’s three flagship youth empowerment programmes: JumpStart, UpLift, and EduRise.

Since 2015, JumpStart has developed over 57,000 youth, with over 30,000 participants successfully transitioning into jobs. Offering a suite of demand-led work-readiness programmes in key labour intensive sectors, including retail, manufacturing and tourism, JumpStart trained 7,252 unemployed youth in FY2024, with 90% securing employment at leading retail partners.

Another 154 aspiring youth entrepreneurs were supported in FY2024 through the UpLift entrepreneurship programme, which develops and supports sustainable small businesses, scale-ups and startups across various sectors, including retail, recycling, agnostic, and technology.

The EduRise programme, which focuses on enhancing tech-led literacy and numeracy and entrepreneurship development, impacted 25,214 learners and 40 lower socio-economic primary schools in FY2024, addressing the root cause of poor education and skills gaps.

 Driving national engagement

Through Zapper’s advanced in-app technology, including push notifications and geo-targeted messages, the Hope4Youth campaign will reach a national audience, making it easy for South Africans to engage and contribute.

“This is the power of partnership,” said Phukubye. “Every donation unlocks opportunities for a brighter future. Through skills development, we can ensure that every young person, regardless of background, has the opportunity to thrive.”

To support the Hope4Youth campaign, simply scan the Zapper QR code or visit Mr Price Foundation’s website. Every contribution has the power to create a more inclusive future.

For more information or images, or to interview Mr Price Foundation Executive Director Octavius Phukubye, contact Mr Price Foundation’s Head of Communications Pierre Tostee at [email protected]