YOUTHS in rural areas will have a chance to compete in the job market as they get equipped with skills, President Jacob Zuma told residents of Muyexe, near Giyani in Limpopo, this week.

YOUTHS in rural areas will have a chance to compete in the job market as they get equipped with skills, President Jacob Zuma told residents of Muyexe, near Giyani in Limpopo, this week.

Zuma promised young rural residents a better future at the launch of a Comprehensive Rural Development pilot project in the village.

He said the government was committed to providing basic needs such as running water, sanitation, electricity and agricultural infrastructure.

He also said the government was committed to the upliftment of the poorest communities. Zuma said the project would help fight poverty and create jobs in the province.

He said: "During the election campaign we made it clear that rural development and land reform would be one of our five key priorities, and that we were determined to change the face of rural areas."

Zuma said the Greater Giyani municipality was chosen as the pilot project and would become a central focus of the project.

"A number of interventions are in the pipeline. Over the medium-term the government has pledged more than R2,6billion in conditional grants to provinces," he said.

He also said the government would support emerging farmers and make agricultural loans more accessible.

Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Kwinti said his department was looking at building 228 houses in Muyexe in the next two years.

Kwinti said the houses would incorporate a traditional design to retain the community village look.

The village has a population of about 7000 without running water and electricity.