Ukiyo, 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, 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, North-West University, The LINK by Airlink and Emeris 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, 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.