Mobile platform connects young people to funding, careers, mentorship and support, with more than 4,200 users since private beta
Johannesburg, South Africa. 17 June 2026 – Ukiyo [5], a South African
edutech and youth development organisation, has launched its Global
Student Support Platform [GSSP], a mobile app that brings education,
funding, career opportunities and student support into one place.
The launch comes at a difficult point for young people in South Africa.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey
for Q1 2026 [6], unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 stands at 60.9%,
while about 3.9 million young people in the same age group are not in
employment, education or training. Ukiyo developed GSSP to help young
people find the information, support and opportunities they need as they
transition from education into work.
The platform connects users to educational opportunities, bursaries and
scholarships, career pathways, mentorship, accommodation, tutoring,
student support services, wellness and psychosocial support, leadership
development and work-readiness resources. GSSP brings together
information and support that is often spread across different systems,
helping young people find and act on relevant opportunities more easily.
Since entering private beta, GSSP has registered over 4,200 users.
Across the currently active opportunities listed on the app, there have
been over 1,300 click-throughs to scholarship and bursary opportunities
and 2,100 to job opportunities. Users have also engaged with course
information, events, international exchange programmes and student
support services.
Speaking on the launch, Nozuko Mzamo, Founder, Ukiyo, said: “South
Africa does not have a shortage of ambitious young people. It has a
shortage of integrated pathways into economic participation and systems
that connect young people to what they need to succeed. We built GSSP to
support the full journey, from finding a place to study and securing
education funding, to building a career and accessing mentorship. For
us, success is when a young person can move confidently into a
sustainable, dignified and empowered future. The early results tell us
this model is needed, and our focus now is to reach more young people
across South Africa.”
Ukiyo works with corporate partners, higher education institutions,
funders and communities to design and deliver youth development
programmes. Its model combines technology, programme design, advisory,
facilitation and partnership-building to support young people while
helping organisations build stronger talent pipelines and measurable
social impact programmes. As part of this work, Ukiyo has partnered with
organisations including Thrive Accommodation [1], North-West University
[2], The LINK by Airlink [3] and Emeris [4] to deliver student support
and employment-readiness initiatives. Across the programmes Ukiyo
administers and manages on behalf of its clients, 85% of participants
are employed within three months of graduation.
Dr Namhla Tshetu, Executive Manager of Corporate Services, Airlink,
said: “Our partnership with Ukiyo reflects a shared commitment to
unlocking opportunities for young people through access to pathways,
mentorship and support ecosystems that enable them to realise their full
potential. The LINK by Airlink believes every young person deserves
access to opportunity, and GSSP is instrumental in extending this impact
to youth.”
Balisa Mancayi, Senior Specialist for Fundraising, North-West
University, said: “Over the past two years, the North-West University
has built a meaningful and impactful partnership with Ukiyo, through
which deserving students have benefited directly from bursary support
amounting to R900,000. Against the backdrop of constrained higher
education funding, the NWU regards Ukiyo’s continued support as both
critical and instrumental in expanding access to much-needed
developmental pathways for young South Africans.”
Nandi Nyandeni, Career Services Specialist, Emeris, said: “Through our
collective initiatives, including the Ready to Launch Workshop, Ukiyo
has consistently demonstrated a genuine commitment to empowering young
people with the opportunities and support they need to thrive in the
world of work. We are truly grateful for this partnership and for the
collective work being done to create opportunities, drive student
development, and contribute to the reduction of youth unemployment in
South Africa.”
Ukiyo has also opened applications for the GSSP Campus Brand Ambassador
Programme [7], with the call for applications launching on Youth Day, 16
June. The programme will recruit 10 student ambassadors across higher
education institutions in South Africa to champion GSSP on their
campuses and support peer adoption. Two ambassadors have already been
recruited in dual roles as GSSP Campus Ambassadors and student interns,
supporting IT and social media, respectively. Successful applicants for
the wider programme will be announced on Ukiyo’s social media
platforms at the end of June. The programme is designed to give
participating students real-world work experience, skills development
and a stronger professional foundation.
