Sourcing talent, not CVs, through skills-based hiring in South Africa.

Most hiring still favours CVs when it should be about people first.

Across South Africa and globally, we face this two-sided problem: high unemployment on one side, and companies struggling to find the right talent on the other.

~High unemployment

~Unfulfilled roles

Both are true at the same time.

The Reality Check: Stats That Matter

The official unemployment rate remains above 30%, with youth unemployment estimated around 45% or higher, and as many as six in ten young people struggling to find work at all. Nearly 60% of unemployed youth have no work experience, creating a vicious cycle where experience is required to get experience, (Cape Argus, 2025).

Globally, a significant majority of employers report ongoing skills shortages, even as unemployment remains high. Around 74–75% of companies say they cannot find skilled talent, and 87% acknowledge existing or emerging skills gaps. This shows that the mismatch between available talent and open roles isn’t only a South African problem, it’s global (Global Talent Shortage, 2025).

The Founder’s Perspective

“Two years into building Qala, it’s been equal parts chaos and conviction. There were long and quiet days behind a laptop, not knowing how this idea would come to life, but believing it was worth building,” our founder shares.

This isn’t a people problem. It’s a system problem.

“We might only be launching now, but after speaking with hundreds of job seekers across South Africa and working with both small and large enterprises, I’ve never been more certain we’re building something South Africa needs.”

Traditional hiring systems rely heavily on CVs as the first access point. For many capable candidates, especially young people and first-time job seekers, this means being excluded before the conversation even begins.

“I have spent my career focused on one big question: how can we solve the big development issues? Currently, I am focused on making access to jobs fairer for everyone, not just those with connections or the right background,” our founder adds.

“It’s ironic, as there are key aspects of who I am that aren’t reflected on my CV, but are central to both my personal and professional life.”

Reframing How Hiring Works

Qala exists to bridge the gap between employers and capable candidates by reframing how people are screened and discovered. Instead of relying on CVs alone, Qala connects employers with candidates through a fair, skills-based, WhatsApp based screening process designed to prioritise potential. The goal isn’t to replace human judgement, it’s to ensure the right people make it into the room in the first place.

We believe the future of hiring should be more inclusive, more human, and more reflective of how people actually develop skills.

“Hope, for me, is in the small wins that change people’s lives, like when someone lands their first job through Qala, after struggling to even get an interview. It’s seeing what that one opportunity does, not just for them, but for their family and community”

This is the future of hiring we’re working toward.

Welcome to Qala.