Educator Vents About Unemployment Driving People Into Teaching on Pieter Kriel Podcast

• Educator Tebogo Maneli sparked debate after appearing on the In The Crossfire with Pieter Kriel podcast to discuss South Africa’s teaching crisis
• Maneli questioned whether unemployed graduates are entering classrooms through the PGCE qualification without a genuine passion for teaching
• South Africans flooded the comments with divided opinions on whether passion or a pay cheque should drive people into education

An educator named Tebogo Maneli has stirred a fierce national conversation after appearing on the In The Crossfire with Pieter Kriel podcast in a video posted on 20 August 2026. Her remarks about unemployed graduates using teaching as a fallback career struck a nerve with South Africans, many of whom have strong feelings about the state of the country’s education system.

Maneli argued that the Postgraduate Certificate in Education, commonly known as the PGCE, has become a convenient escape route for graduates who cannot find work in their chosen fields. The PGCE is a one-year qualification that allows degree holders from any discipline to become certified teachers.

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Because it requires only an existing bachelor’s degree and can be completed in a relatively short time, critics argue it has lowered the barrier to entry into classrooms.

Maneli was careful to add that she was not dismissing the qualification itself, but rather raising concerns about the motivation of those who pursue it purely out of financial desperation.

A profession built on desperation?

South Africa’s unemployment rate, which Statistics South Africa has consistently recorded above 30%, makes her concern difficult to dismiss. With millions of graduates struggling to find work, teaching has become one of the few fields with a reliable entry path and a government salary at the end of it.

Watch the full discussion that sparked the debate here.

Mzansi weighs in on teaching and passion

The video drew sharp and divided reactions from South Africans across Facebook:

@Judicial Sebatana said:

“But passion has never been a requirement anywhere, whether it is being police officer, lawyer, nurse etc.”

@Nontokonina Toto Nocanda-Ndweni responded:

“We don’t eat passion.”

@Lebogang Mangena offered a different angle:

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“PGCE teachers tend to have much better understanding of the subject than BEd teachers. That’s another part that people seem to ignore in all these discussions.”

@Slovan Bratislava said:

“All of them are not passionate. Nobody wants to be a teacher. But we take education because it’s one of the easiest courses to enter university.”

More stories involving SA teachers

• A local school shared a heartwarming post about the duties teachers find themselves doing for their primary school learners without signing up for them.
• Learners at Joe Slovo Engineering High School in Khayelitsha surprised their expectant teacher with a classroom baby shower complete with cake and treats.
• A beloved South African teacher was given a hero’s farewell as he prepared for retirement after years of dedicated service.

Source: Briefly News