• South Africa and Mozambique sign deal to boost vocational and higher education
  
• Agreement targets skills development, qualification recognition, and curriculum reform
  
• Initiative responds to high youth unemployment and training system gaps in both countries

South Africa and Mozambique have signed an agreement to update and strengthen their cooperation in higher education and vocational training. The agreement was signed during the fourth session of their Binational Commission in Maputo last week.

According to a statement from the South African government, both countries see the agreement as a way to improve the quality of their education systems and respond to urgent labour-market needs.

The agreement prioritises technical and vocational pathways. Pretoria said the two countries will increase the exchange of programmes, teaching resources and best practices to help technical colleges adapt their training. Universities, training centres and quality-assurance agencies will also work together to support mutual recognition of qualifications and develop new curricula.

For South Africa, the partnership aims to improve young people’s skills, raise employability and encourage entrepreneurship. According to SAnews, the government expects stronger links between training and certification bodies to help reduce skills shortages in strategic sectors.

For Mozambique, the agreement opens the door to wider access to quality technical training, stronger applied research and greater capacity in technical institutes – a strategic priority for the country’s economic transformation.

The initiative comes as both countries face long-standing challenges in vocational training and youth employment. In South Africa, unemployment reached 33.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025 and 62.4 percent among 15- to 24-year-olds. Nearly a quarter of youth in that group are classified as NEET (not in employment, education or training). Despite rising enrolment in technical colleges, which enrolled 564,089 learners in 2023, capacity remains far below the level needed to meet major skills shortages.

Mozambique faces similar constraints, including weak infrastructure and training programmes that are not well aligned with economic needs. Several international studies highlight the difficulties young people face in acquiring practical skills or building viable income-generating activities, a finding echoed by a recent study on youth entrepreneurship.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou