A quiet skills revolution is underway in South Africa’s municipalities. Through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA), 1,732 young South Africans have been trained as artisans since 2014, building a growing pipeline of electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and mechanics who keep water flowing, lights on and roads maintained in communities across the country.
The latest cohort of 30 apprentices successfully completed their trade testing in the 2024/25 financial year, according to MISA Chief Executive Officer Pati Kgomo, who says the programme is tackling two national challenges at once: youth unemployment and the shortage of skilled artisans in the public sector.
Red Seal trades, real careers
The MISA Apprenticeship Programme gives unemployed youth the opportunity to pursue Red Seal trade test qualifications in fields essential to municipal infrastructure, including electrical work, plumbing, bricklaying, and diesel and motor mechanics.
Municipalities that take part gain access to a growing pool of competent, work-ready artisans capable of supporting infrastructure delivery and maintenance, while the young people themselves walk away with nationally recognised qualifications and practical experience that opens doors across the economy.
The effort aligns with the National Development Plan 2030, which calls for the country to produce 30,000 qualified artisans a year to support infrastructure development, economic growth and job creation.
More than apprenticeships
MISA’s investment in young talent goes beyond the trades. Its Experiential Learnership Programme places engineering and built environment students and recent graduates inside host municipalities, where they apply their academic training in real-world environments.
The Young Graduates Programme, a structured three-to-four-year journey towards professional registration as technicians, technologists and professional engineers, has enrolled more than 860 young graduates since its inception in the 2013/14 financial year, with a strong focus on candidates from historically disadvantaged communities.
Skills where they are needed most
By linking training to the District Development Model, MISA ensures skills development matches the specific needs of local economies. That place-based approach helps young people build sustainable livelihoods in their own communities rather than being forced to seek work in distant cities.
“Municipalities remain the frontline of service delivery,” Kgomo notes, and the artisans, technicians and engineers coming through MISA’s programmes are the people who will keep that frontline strong, one qualified tradesperson at a time.
Read more at SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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