According to the 2022 African Youth Survey released by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, Africa’s youth are less optimistic about the future of their countries than they were two years ago. Even more pessimistic if they live in Rwanda, Kenya or South Africa.
The survey recorded responses from 4,500 face-to-face interviews with youths aged between 18 and 24 years old, across urban and rural locations Angola, Congo, DRC, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. According to the survey results, Covid-19, the economy and instability all play a role in the drop in sentiment among youth, followed very closely by worries about corruption, the standard of education and the availability of decent jobs. Seventy-seven percent of respondents are scared they won’t be able to buy their own homes, and three quarters of them believe owning land is vital for their financial well-being.
According to the survey, Africa’s youth are concerned that good career opportunities are lacking
and want to see their governments prioritising job creation. “Six-in-seven (86%) young people say that they are concerned about the lack of opportunities currently available for young people like them in their
country, with near universal concern in Zambia (94%), Kenya (94%), and Ghana (93%). The outlier is Gabon, where just half (54%) are worried. Youth unemployment is a concern across the continent. According to the World Bank, more than 12% of youth aged 15-24 in Sub-Saharan Africa were unemployed but seeking work in 2019, and much higher in some countries such as South Africa (58%)”
According to the survey results, Covid-19, the economy and instability all play a role in the drop in sentiment among youth, followed very closely by worries about corruption, the standard of education and the availability of decent jobs. Seventy-seven percent of respondents are scared they won’t be able to buy their own homes, and three quarters of them believe owning land is vital for their financial well-being.
