By OBAKENG MAJE
24 February 2026- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said his province continues to demonstrate an upward trend in job creation following the recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Mokgosi said according to Statistics South Africa (SSA), whilst the official unemployment rate in the country decreased by 0.5% point, the province recorded the largest drop of 6.2% in the country last year.
He further said in the last two quarters of 2025, the province cumulatively created close to 80 000 jobs, with agriculture, construction and public service being the largest contributors in employment. Mokgosi maintains the implementation of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) is well underway and is beginning to yield desired results.
“We officially adopted the PGDS last year to drive economic growth and create jobs. We are now starting to witness an upward trajectory on our job creation initiatives, which have culminated in the reduction of unemployment by over six percent.
“Of concern is the extended unemployment rate which was reduced by a measly 1.9% in the same period. Participating in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate more recently, I flagged a litany of intervention measures aimed at addressing the scourge of unemployment in the province,” he added.
Mokgosi said this includes the resuscitation of the Pilanesberg International Airport to reincarnate commercial activities in the tourism sector in and around the Moses Kotane Local Municipality. He said this Friday, they will be signing a memorandum of understanding with the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to see the full implementation of our plans for the Pilanesberg Airport.
“I am therefore hopeful that these activities will result in more job creation opportunities for the people of North West,” concluded Mokgosi.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Caucus Leader in North West, Freddy Sonakile said: “Mokgosi celebrates a drop in numbers while the province drops the ball. The government is turning the corner. While any real job creation is welcome, the people of this province deserve substance, not selective statistics, recycled promises, and governance by press release.
“A year-on-year decline in the official unemployment rate does not, in itself, demonstrate a sustainable economic recovery. The lived reality across the North West remains one of collapsing municipal services, deteriorating roads, unreliable water supply, failing infrastructure, and shrinking local economies.”
The Guardian 