Youth under socio- economic duress
Youth from the Southern African Development Community ( SADC) constitute more than 60 percent of the total population, and harnessing this demographic dividend is critical to the development of the region.
However, they have suffered the brunt of the Covid- 19 pandemic. Even before the Covid- 19 pandemic, young people were already suffering from youth unemployment which has become a ticking time bomb in the region. “In recent years, transition from education to work has become more prolonged and unpredictable,” African Union ( AU) Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Sacko said at the Third Annual Southern Africa Youth Forum ( SAYoF- SADC). The Forum was held under the theme, ‘ Blue and Green Economy for Sustainable Development.’
SAYoF- SADC is a regional development platform for youth in Southern Africa and the official Convener of the SADC Youth Forum and the SADC Youth Parliament. He stated that while between 10 million and 12 million young people enter the workforce each year, only 3.1 million jobs are created. Citizens across 34 African countries regard unemployment as the top problem facing their nations. “In the absence of jobs, Africa’s youth present a threat to social cohesion and political stability,” Sacko said. Under its first aspiration: ‘ A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development,’ Agenda 2063 recognises the huge potential of the Green and Blue Economy as a catalyst of Africa’s socio- economic transformation. Sacko said the AU actively promotes the transformation towards an inclusive green economy that generates growth, creates jobs and helps reduce poverty through sustainable management of natural capital. He believes a green economy offers a pathway to generate economic growth that is inclusive and environmentally sustainable. “The green economy defined by the UNEP as low- carbon, resourceefficient, and socially- inclusive – replacing the current fossil fuel- based economy is projected to create 15 to 60 million new jobs,” he said. Since the transformation towards a green economy will change the patterns of jobs in many sectors, skilling of the youth that will become or has already joined the existing workforce will be needed to foster the creation of decent and green jobs. “It is equally important to support local private sector development by providing eco- entrepreneurship skills which will teach people how to start their own green business and this will increase opportunities to improve their standard of living,” Sacko said. Sacko added that governments need to accelerate the education, skills, literacy, and empowerment programmes that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among young women and girls. The youth from countries in the region including, Botswana, Angola, Comoros, Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South African, Zambia and Zimbabwe collectively called on
SADC member states to prioritise the engagement of marginalised groups, including women, youth, and people with disabilities in the implementation of the Africa Free Trade Continental Agreement ( AfCFTA). Among their recommendations meant to spearhead sustainable youth development, the SAYoF- SADC believe SADC member states need to strengthen resource mobilisation to drive industrialisation and support the growth of the manufacturing sector in line with the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan ( RISDP) 2020- 2030.
The green economy defined by the UNEP as low- carbon, resourceefficient, and socially- inclusive – replacing the current fossil fuelbased economy is projected to create 15 to 60 million new jobs