South African edtech startup Ukiyo has launched a free mobile app called the Global Student Support Platform (GSSP).
South African educational technology company Ukiyo has officially launched a new mobile platform designed to bridge the gap between young people and critical growth opportunities. Dubbed the Global Student Support Platform (GSSP), the app functions as a free all-in-one marketplace that bundles entry-level jobs and internships with student housing, bursaries, mentorship, and mental health support.
The launch comes at a time when South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis continues to deepen. In the first quarter of 2026, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 reached a staggering 60.90%, with roughly 3.9 million young people in that bracket classified as not being in employment, education, or training (NEET).
Founded in 2017 after operating informally since 2014, Ukiyo was built specifically to tackle youth unemployment by addressing its root causes, such as limited access to marketplace information and career readiness tools.
Nozuko Mzamo, the founder of Ukiyo, explained that the idea for the platform took shape after she noticed a persistent disconnect in the market: valuable career opportunities discussed in corporate boardrooms rarely made their way to the students who actually needed them. GSSP was designed to dismantle this information barrier, particularly for ambitious students living outside major urban centers.
Rather than looking at job hunting as an isolated event, the platform aims to support the entire lifecycle of a student’s journey. Through the app, users can fund their studies, secure housing, build skills, find mentorship, and eventually transition into the corporate world.
During its private beta phase, the platform showed strong initial engagement. GSSP attracted more than 4,200 users, generating over 1,300 click-throughs to scholarship and bursary opportunities, alongside more than 2,100 click-throughs directly to employment listings.
While students currently navigate the platform using manual filters and search criteria, Ukiyo plans to integrate intelligent automated matching features in upcoming versions to pair students with opportunities based on their fields of study and skill sets.
To populate the ecosystem, Ukiyo partners directly with institutional and corporate providers. Current partners on the platform include higher education entities like North-West University, accommodation providers like Thrive Accommodation, and commercial brands like Emeris and The LINK by Airlink.
GSSP enters a competitive space alongside established career networks like LinkedIn, Pnet, and Jobox. However, Mzamo points out that most existing platforms only look at a single piece of the puzzle usually the final job search. By keeping the platform free for youth and covering everything from academic funding and mental wellness to the first paycheck, Ukiyo aims to guide students through every major milestone of their higher education journey.
While the immediate focus remains on solving domestic challenges for South African youth, Ukiyo is already planning its next move. The company has started adding global exchange programs to the app and is conducting market research to expand its full-cycle student platform into pan-African and broader international markets.
