About GradBase
An initiative of the Full Stack Youth Development Agency (NPC)
Our Mission
GradBase exists to resolve the challenge of qualified youth unemployment in South Africa. With approximately 4.7 million young South Africans unemployed and over 650,000 graduates unable to find work despite holding qualifications, we believe this is the defining socio-economic challenge of our generation.
Built on the principle of Ubuntu ("Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu": a person is a person through other people), GradBase connects graduates with employers who are willing to invest in South Africa's future, including paying off student debt.
This is not charity. This is an investment in our collective future. When qualified graduates enter the workforce, they contribute to the economy, pay taxes, support families, and build communities. GradBase is the infrastructure that makes this happen at scale.
The Challenge We're Solving
4.7M
Young South Africans unemployed (ages 15-34)
650K+
Qualified graduates unable to find work
R16B
In legacy NSFAS student loan debt
40%
Of graduates with impaired credit from debt
How GradBase is Different
Verified Qualifications
Every qualification is mapped to the SAQA National Qualifications Framework. Academic transcripts are parsed, verified, and linked to NQF levels. Employers can trust that candidates are who they say they are.
Student Debt Relief
Three models of debt relief: direct payment, sign-on benefits tied to contracts, and pooled funds. Plus our innovative "Hire-to-Clear" model where debt is forgiven month by month as graduates maintain employment.
Both Sides Vetted
We don't just verify graduates: employers complete workplace assessments too. Graduates can see employer scores for HR practices, culture, and transformation. Trust flows both ways.
About the Full Stack Youth Development Agency
The Full Stack Youth Development Agency is a registered Non-Profit Company (NPC/Section 21) with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) of South Africa. It was founded to create and operate infrastructure that addresses qualified youth unemployment in South Africa.
The Agency was established by Full Stack (Pty) Ltd, a Microsoft Partner and enterprise software company based in South Africa. Full Stack recognised that while South Africa produces talented graduates, the systems to connect them with employment, particularly those burdened by student debt, were either absent or failing.
Full Stack provides the initial funding, technology expertise, and operational support for GradBase. However, the Agency is governed independently, with a board drawn from education, business, and civil society. The vision is that GradBase becomes a national institution, owned by South Africa and sustained by the collective investment of employers, government, and civil society.
Full Stack (Pty) Ltd is a South African enterprise software company and Microsoft Partner, specialising in custom software development, cloud architecture, and digital transformation. Full Stack's contribution to the Youth Development Agency forms part of its Socio-Economic Development (SED) commitment under the B-BBEE framework.
B-BBEE and Employer Benefits
Employers who participate in GradBase can benefit from multiple B-BBEE scorecard elements:
Socio-Economic Development (SED): Contributions to GradBase qualify as SED spend
Skills Development: Funding skills assessments and training through the platform
Employment Equity: Verified SA citizen graduates for EE-compliant hiring
Section 18A Tax Deductions: Debt relief donations are tax-deductible
Enterprise Development: Supporting graduate entrepreneurs and startups
Full Compliance Suite: GradBase integrates with Full Stack's ESG, CIPC, and XBRL filing services