Lizelle Strydom, Managing Director, CareerBox

Can you briefly describe your organisation, including what you do and your main products or services?

CareerBox is a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering young people from underprivileged communities by providing training and access to entry-level, digitally enabled employment opportunities.

The organisation identifies motivated youth from townships and underserved areas, equips them with practical workplace and digital skills, and connects them with job opportunities across a range of industries. CareerBox believes that education, skills development and meaningful employment provide a sustainable, long-term solution to unemployment across Africa.

At its core, CareerBox is in the business of building careers for young people. The organisation understands that a first step into meaningful employment can unlock lifelong opportunities for personal and professional growth.

CareerBox was established to address the growing skills mismatch in South Africa while helping meet the staffing needs of the rapidly expanding customer experience and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sectors. At the time, these industries were among the country’s leading contributors to economic growth and had the ability to absorb large numbers of high-potential, previously disadvantaged youth and women in the workforce through relatively short training programmes.

CareerBox empowers young people through career development programmes that focus on both technical and soft skills. Candidates are trained in practical workplace readiness, including how to write a professional CV, prepare for interviews, and operate effectively in a corporate environment. They are also taught how to engage with customers in a global context, understanding the cultural nuances required to deliver world-class customer service.

The organisation places strong emphasis on developing essential workplace competencies such as teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, accountability, punctuality, time management, and conflict resolution — skills that are critical for long-term success in the modern workplace.

What makes your organisation different, and what do you consider your key strengths?

What makes CareerBox different is its strong focus on creating real employment opportunities while also empowering people with practical skills and confidence. The organisation doesn’t just train candidates; it prepares them for the workplace and connects them with actual job opportunities, which creates long-term impact for both individuals and communities.

One of CareerBox’s key strengths is its demand-led training approach. The programs are designed around what employers are looking for, which helps bridge the gap between unemployment and industry needs. Another major strength is its commitment to youth development and transformation, especially in underserved communities.

CareerBox also stands out because of its partnerships with businesses and its supportive learning environment. The organization combines skills development, mentorship, and job placement, which makes its impact more sustainable and meaningful.

How would you describe your industry today, and your role within it?

The skills development and youth employment sectors are evolving rapidly, especially as businesses increasingly require digital and workplace-ready talent. At the same time, unemployment — particularly among young people — remains one of the biggest challenges in South Africa and across the continent. This creates a strong need for organisations that can bridge the gap between education, skills development, and meaningful employment opportunities.

CareerBox plays an important role within this space by preparing young people for entry-level digitally enabled careers and connecting them with employers who are looking for capable, work-ready talent. We focus not only on training, but also on creating pathways to sustainable employment and long-term career growth.

As Managing Director, my role is to guide the organisation’s vision and strategy, build strong partnerships with industry stakeholders, and ensure that our programs continue to create measurable impact for both youth and employers. A large part of my role is also focused on innovation and ensuring that we remain responsive to the changing needs of the workforce and the communities we serve.

Can you share any recent developments, milestones, or growth within your organisation?

In recent years, CareerBox has experienced significant growth and impact, further strengthening its position as a leading force in youth employment and impact sourcing across South Africa. To date, the organisation has trained and facilitated employment opportunities for more than 70,000 individuals, creating pathways to sustainable careers for young people from underserved communities.

Through its work, CareerBox has positively impacted more than 350,000 lives across communities, extending beyond individual employment to uplift families and local economies. A strong focus on inclusion and empowerment remains central to the organisation’s mission, with women accounting for 66% of programme participation and youth placement rates reaching 75%.

CareerBox has also played a critical role in advancing impact sourcing models within the BPO and CX sectors, with up to 72% of workforces being sourced through these inclusive hiring initiatives. This demonstrates the growing confidence that employers place in CareerBox-trained talent and the long-term value these candidates bring to organisations.

The success of the model is further reflected in a remarkable 98.5% promotion rate among CareerBox-trained employees, highlighting both the quality of training provided and the career progression opportunities available to candidates once they enter the workforce.

In collaboration with industry partners, CareerBox has contributed to the creation of more than 10,000 jobs, helping businesses access skilled, work-ready talent while simultaneously addressing youth unemployment. The organisation’s targeted talent matching approach has also achieved a 75% applicant success rate, ensuring that candidates are not only placed into jobs, but matched to opportunities where they can thrive and build lasting careers.

How do you work with your clients or partners, and how do they benefit from your solutions?

CareerBox works closely with clients and partners through an impact sourcing model that combines inclusive recruitment with workforce development. We identify high-potential candidates from underserved communities, provide targeted workplace readiness and digital skills training, and connect them to employment opportunities across customer experience, BPO, and digitally enabled industries.

Our model helps organisations access a broader and more diverse talent pool while addressing critical skills shortages. Many of the young people we support are highly capable individuals who may have tertiary qualifications but lack access to formal employment opportunities due to socio-economic barriers. By equipping them with the right technical and soft skills, we help businesses build resilient, work-ready teams.

Clients benefit from improved employee engagement, lower attrition rates, reduced recruitment and training costs, and stronger customer service outcomes. In South Africa, some impact sourcing providers have reported turnover reductions of up to 50%, demonstrating the long-term value of inclusive hiring models.

Beyond the business benefits, partnering with CareerBox also enables organisations to advance their ESG and sustainability goals by contributing to meaningful job creation, youth empowerment, and inclusive economic growth. Through these partnerships, businesses are able to create measurable social impact while building high-performing teams that reflect the diversity and potential of South Africa’s workforce.

What are your priorities or focus areas moving forward?

CareerBox’s priority moving forward is to continue scaling inclusive employment solutions across Africa by aligning skills development with the evolving needs of the digital economy. We are focused on expanding our impact sourcing model into more markets, while adapting our approach to the unique socio-economic realities of each country and community we serve.

A key focus area is preparing young people for growth industries such as customer experience, digital services, and technology-enabled roles, ensuring they have both the technical and workplace skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy.

We are also prioritising deeper partnerships with businesses and industry leaders to help address talent shortages while creating meaningful employment opportunities for underserved youth. By strengthening these partnerships, we can continue building sustainable talent pipelines that benefit both employers and communities.

Our goal is to create scalable, long-term employment pathways that drive inclusive economic growth across the continent. As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, we believe impact sourcing can play a transformative role in creating jobs, building skills, and unlocking opportunity for the next generation of African talent.