The Western Cape's Mobility Department on Tuesday launched phase two of the ‘’Getting you to work’’ job seeker travel voucher programme in Mitchells Plain. The program was piloted in February 2024 and offers unemployed job seekers in Cape Town free travel vouchers for Golden Arrow bus services. The project aims to eliminate the barrier of transport costs that many job applicants face when they are going for interviews and looking for employment opportunities.
The event was held at the Mitchells Plain Town Center Library. Librarian Rachel Kepke explains the significance of the program being held there.
‘’We are looking for partners to assist our members of the
public, being job educating, etc. So the urban mobility department approached
us to have venue and to try and work with them to have this programme today. So
we said great because this is a next step if people want to get a job, look for
work. We assist them with programs like the WYZ programme, whereby we help them
to register online job sites and get the CV’s in order, teach them actually how
to be a bit more tech savvy, as a lot of people don't have that skill.’’
One of the Western Cape's Mobility Department's directors, Malvern
Arendse, explains the project background. He says this programme is needed as
unemployed citizens spends a large amount of money to find jobs.
‘’We are deeply grateful to our key partner, Golden Arrow
Bus Services, for believing in this vision from the beginning. Your support has
been instrumental in turning this idea a reality… Today, we are proud to launch
a drastically improved phase two of the job seeker travel parts and growth
rate. All our lessons from the pilot, feedback from job seekers and data input
from our stakeholders. Phase two is about scaling up, it is about expanding
access, improving the user experience and reaching even more people who need
this kind of support to move forward in their job service. As we look ahead,
our hope is simple – to help as many job seekers as possible, but we cannot do
this alone.’’
Golden Arrows' General Manager Derek Meyer elaborated on
why it was important to partner for this programme.
‘’It is both an honor and a privilege to stand before you
today as a representative of Golden Arrow bus services, an organisation that
has proudly served Cape Town's communities for more than 160 years. We are
deeply honored to be a strategic partner in supporting the Western Cape Government
and its visionary initiative to drive economic growth and foster greater
inclusion through enhanced mobility. This groundbreaking program aligns closely
with our long-standing mission to provide accessible, safe, and affordable bus
scheduled bus services to all across communities and all income levels. As an
integral part of this public transport infrastructure in the city, our road
extends far beyond the provision of bus services. Every day, across our network
of key corridors, we connect thousands of individuals from diverse
socioeconomic backgrounds to places of employment, education, health care, and
other essential services. With more than 200,000 daily passenger trips, we
understand the profound impact that dependable transport has on people's lives
and livelihoods.
‘’This partnership is an important step in lowering the
barriers to mobility, especially for those in historically undeserved
communities. By improving access to transport, we unlock access to opportunity.
To support this vision, we are deploying smart card agents and kiosks across
all our service areas. These are not just distribution points. They are
connection points strategically placed to ensure maximum convenience and
visibility. They enable job seekers to engage with the program easily, whether
by accessing information, receiving assistance, or registering for
participation,’’ added Meyer.
Delivering the keynote address, Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku
explained why this programme was created.
‘’Given our previous success in this initiative, we had to
turn it up a notch. Innovation is our game. It is what we live, breathe, and
eat. The most fundamental things in life, which is a job. You must find a
suitable job, compete with other candidates, and most importantly, you must get
yourself to that interview, and the latter requires resources.
‘’ When we began this programme in February 2024, it was an
idea that mobility is not an action, it is a right. We believe that if we
remove the barrier of transport costs, we can unlock the doors of opportunities
and the result speaks volume.’’
The programme was first piloted in February 2024 and offers unemployed jobseekers in Cape Town free travel vouchers for Golden Arrow Bus Services. The project aims to eliminate the barrier of transport costs that many job applicants face when going for interviews. pic.twitter.com/lrK6mlKyjm
— Mitchum George (@MitchumGeorge) June 10, 2025
Sileku highlighted some successes.
‘’In phase one, we had more than 3 700 beneficiaries with
more than 150 companies on board. A significant number are also used to attend
training programs, community work, and social development initiatives.
‘’In phase two - Firstly, job seekers can now register
themselves online for a travel voucher, so we are removing that employer only
registration. Secondly, each voucher will now carry six free rides, usable 9a.m
to 3p.m weekdays and is valid until 31 March 2026,’’ added Sileku
The MEC elaborated on the Western Cape Government's ‘Growth
4 jobs’ strategy, which aims for the economy to grow in the province between 4%
and 6% by 2035.
‘’Having a greater chance of attending interviews, securing
work, and participating in skills development. That is a pathway from
unemployment to opportunity. That is the growth for jobs, agenda, and action. I
want to commend incredible teamwork across government departments, our capital
partners, and especially our community networks. This program works because it
is people centered and data informed.’’
Sileku also thanked the job seekers for ‘putting trust in
the programme.’
‘’Your story shapes our policies. Your struggles guide our
strategy, and your success is our greatest reward. Whenever you get to that
interview and you receive that call that says, ‘you have been successful’. That
is our greatest success. For you to be able to get to that interview, do your
utmost best, not having to worry how you're going to get there, where you're
gonna get the money from, but you just have this voucher. You wait for that
call.’’
Answering questions from the media after the formal programme,
MEC Sileku clarified that it is only partnered employers that are and
encouraged more employers to join.
‘’Some of them would be like call centers. It would vary,
you know, from employer from employer. I would say I want to double. I want as
many people to register so that they will be able to go to interviews.’’
Sileku hopes that the programme gets extended to other modes of transport, but reiterated that for now it is only valid on Golden Arrow buses.
Bush Radio News also spoke to job seekers at the event.
‘’I feel so good to be here to enjoy myself about the
voucher. I hope I can get a job tomorrow,’’ said Zongi Twaku.
‘’I think it is a good idea because I am working in a
community where people don't have access to transport money to come to access
our job opportunities. I'm working for Amandla Club Development. It's a youth
development that work with people who need job applications. We help with CV
development. I think it's a very great thing in our community because unemployment
is so rife and now youngsters are in gangsterism. So there are opportunities
and we are very grateful for this initiative,’’ said Lance Minnies.
The programme runs until the 31 March 2026, and job seekers
can find
Done By: Mitchum George.
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