South Africa's Cabinet remains committed to driving economic expansion and addressing unemployment.

This is according to Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who led a Post Cabinet media briefing in Tshwane, on Thursday.

This week, Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey revealed that unemployment had increased by 1%.

"Cabinet noted Statistics South Africa Labour Force Survey, which shows a rise in unemployment to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 from 31.9% in the final quarter of last year.

"Five of the 10 industries tracked by Stats SA recorded employment increases, particularly in transport and finance. However, most jobs were lost in the trade and construction sectors. Cabinet remains committed to driving economic growth that creates jobs," Ntshavheni said.

In the same vein, Ntshavheni said Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the progress review meeting of the Government Business Partnership.

The meeting - led by President Cyril Ramaphosa - was held last week and resolved to accelerate the implementation of key reforms and priority initiatives aimed at driving economic growth and job creation over the next three months.

"The partnership focuses on supporting the implementation of key reforms and priority initiatives aimed at driving economic growth and job creation. Some of the progress made includes the development of the national wheeling framework, Transnet performance improvement, and the electronic travel authorisation visa.

"A priority action plan for the next steps has been adopted, and joint teams will continue to monitor progress and resolve bottlenecks," the Minister said.

Cabinet has encouraged South Africans to make their voices heard in public consultations regarding the Transformation Fund.

The R100 billion fund is aimed at addressing access to funding for majority black-owned enterprises and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises.

"Cabinet has noted the interest in the Transformation Fund and encourages South Africans to actively participate in the consultation process, as announced by the Department of Trade and Industry and Competition.

"The implementation of the Transformation Fund will advance our constitutional commitment to economic redress and transformation as part of reversing the skewed policies of the apartheid era," Ntshavheni said.

Comments can be sent to: [email protected] or hand delivered to the Department of Trade and Industry's campus at 77 Meintjies Stree at Sunnyside, in Tshwane.

The deadline for submissions is 28 May 2025.

Meanwhile, South Africa has stamped its name as one of the world's most desirable travel destinations worldwide.

READ | SA ready to welcome visitors for G20 summit

"South Africa was named the seventh most desirable country to visit globally in the 2024 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards and was awarded gold in the wildlife and nature category.

"South Africa also notched the title of the world's friendliest nation in Remitly's Big 5 Personality Test, highlighting the warmth and hospitality of South Africans, and the City of Cape Town was also ranked as the fifth most desirable city globally," Ntshavheni said.