Development of Youth Capabilities Through the National Youth Service Programme 

The National Youth Service Programme is a South Africa government youth development intervention that aims at inculcating moral values in the youth by instilling the culture of patriotism through volunteerism. This paper aimed at investigating the extent to which the National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) contributes to the development of young people in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used to understand the participants lived experience. Semi-structured interview was used to gather data. The target group was 10 youths who were part of the National Youth Service Programme in the Western Cape. The researchers used purposive sampling, phenomenological as the research design. The finding of this study highlighted that the NYSP positively contributes to the entrepreneurship mindset, character building, community uplifting, leadership skills, poverty eradication, and attainment of vocational skills among young people. The study affirms that the level of poverty among young people was reduced through the National Youth Service Programme. The study recommends that the National Youth Development Agency should ensure that 90% of the budget allocated for the Presidential Youth Service Programme in post COVID-19 South Africa goes to the unemployed youth. The NYDA should have a monitoring and evaluation system in place to assess the impact of the programme on positive youth development.