My return to South Africa earlier this year has given me many insights. I’ve listened to stories, heard different perspectives, and reflected on the realities leaders and young people are facing.

Through these conversations, I’ve been struck by a paradox. On one hand, too many of our young people remain unemployed, despite being bright, eager, and capable. On the other hand, many businesses I meet are struggling to find experienced senior leaders with the depth and breadth to navigate today’s complexities.

At first glance, these might seem like opposite challenges: an oversupply of entry-level talent and an undersupply of leadership. But in truth, they are deeply connected. If we approach them with intentionality, one can become the solution to the other.

South Africa’s Youth Challenge: Signs of Progress

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world, the statistics are sobering. Yet, there are also sparks of hope.

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is one of them. In the past year alone, Cape Town’s BPO industry created more than 10,000 new jobs, adding billions of rands in foreign investment according to City of Cape Town Economic Growth MMC, Alderman James Vos. Many of these roles went to first-time earners, often women from low-income backgrounds.

Organisations such as CapeBPO and BPESA are intentionally driving the development of training and placement ecosystems for young people, partnering with colleges, government, and industry to create meaningful pathways into work. I’ve had the privilege of seeing how this changes not just individual lives, but entire households. A young person who gains employment brings confidence, dignity, and stability to their family.

This matters. Because beyond the statistics, what we are really talking about is human potential and the belief that our youth deserve the chance to build futures. The opportunity for leaders is clear: it is not only about creating jobs, but about enabling pathways. The real challenge (and opportunity) lies in how we support these first roles to become stepping stones toward lasting careers.

The Leadership Gap: a shallow bench

At the same time, senior executives in fast growing sectors like BPO are voicing a different concern: “As the industry scales, where will our next generation of leaders come from?” 

The reality is that South Africa has a thin pipeline of leaders with international exposure, transformation experience, and the capabilities needed to lead both businesses and people through complexity. Too often, the same handful of individuals are approached for senior roles. This isn’t sustainable. Without building the skills that enable leaders to grow and succeed, we risk setting people up for failure instead of preparing them to thrive

In my career across Europe, Africa, and global markets, I’ve seen the same challenge emerge in different forms. Leadership today requires far more than technical expertise. It demands judgement, adaptability, and the ability to bring people along through uncertainty. These skills are rarely taught in classrooms. They are honed through intentional development and real-world stretch experiences.

Connecting Youth Potential with Leadership Needs

This is where the opportunity lies. I know how tough it can be to invest in leadership development when budgets are tight and demands on leaders are relentless, as they so often are in BPO. But even small, creative steps can help build the capabilities we need. Pathways that move young people from first jobs into leadership potential don’t have to be grand. They simply have to be intentional.

The BPO sector has proven that young South Africans are resilient, creative, and ambitious. The question now is: how do we ensure they don’t remain at entry level, but grow into the leaders our businesses need?

Rethinking How We Grow Future Leaders

From my conversations with boards and leadership teams, I’ve heard many ideas about how we might begin to close these gaps. None are simple—funding, time, and leadership support all play a role. But there are a few areas where intentional focus could make a meaningful difference:

1. Invest early in leadership skills

Technical training alone won’t close the gap. From the first day a young person joins, we can begin to embed development in communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. These skills take time, but they are the foundations of leadership.

2. Create visible pathways

Entry-level roles work best when they are the start of a journey, not the end. Mapping out steps from team leader to supervisor to manager while making them visible, helps people see a future worth working toward. Even small signals of progression can make a big difference.

3. Pair experience with potential

Too often, talented people are promoted before they’re ready, which can set them up for failure. The real opportunity is to match emerging leaders with mentors and structured support, so they grow the capabilities needed to lead both people and business with confidence.

4. Lead with the future in mind

Executives carry the responsibility of building tomorrow’s leadership bench. This is not easy: budgets, time, and competing priorities, these all play a role. However, keeping people at the centre of long-term planning is what sustains organisations.

5. Leverage industry collaboration

Bodies like CapeBPO and BPESA are already bringing business, education providers, and government together to create pathways. Building on this valuable work, and extending similar models into other sectors, could unlock even greater impact.

What South Africa Can Learn from Global Markets

In other countries where I’ve worked, whether in Europe or Asia, leadership pipelines are deliberately cultivated. Companies identify high-potential individuals early and give them structured opportunities to rotate across functions, geographies, and challenges.

South Africa has the talent to do the same. What’s needed in the BPO sector is a consistent commitment to invest in people. It’s not just in creating entry-level jobs, but in developing the skills and experiences that turn those first roles into long-term careers.

A final reflection

Leadership, at its core, is less about brilliance than about clarity, courage, and care for people. I believe South Africa’s young people have all the raw ingredients to become extraordinary leaders.

The task for business leaders is to strike a balance: creating jobs while also building careers. That means not only opening doors, but equipping young people with the tools and development to grow into leadership roles.

If we can do that, we won’t only close the skills gaps. We will build a generation of leaders who carry South Africa forward with resilience, creativity, and purpose.

As boards and executive teams, it may be worth pausing to reflect on the strength of your leadership pipelines. Where is the next layer of leaders being developed? Are there visible pathways for young people to rise? And is there clear accountability for making this happen? These kinds of reflections, approached with intention, are often where meaningful shifts begin.

At JMR, we partner with organisations to move beyond succession planning as a static exercise. From my experience, when pipelines are treated as living systems such as connecting youth potential with leadership development, they are far more resilient. Our role is to walk alongside organisations in strengthening these pipelines, contributing structure and perspective to support their long-term success.

If your organisation in Africa is grappling with these questions, I’d welcome a conversation. Sometimes the first step is simply creating clarity together.