Hand, heart, and soul: empowering Africa’s young workforce

Image © Concilia Mutami/Young Africa International

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Many of them don’t have a reliable job.¹ Addressing this issue isn’t as simple as creating more jobs. Right now, there aren’t enough businesses to absorb the need, or the right skills to meet market demand. Vocational and entrepreneurship training are therefore crucial to supporting Africa’s young people into work.

Young Africa is taking on the challenge with huge ambition. Through its network of centres across Southern Africa, it aims to train half a million young people by 2025.

“Our mission is to teach students skills of the hands to make them self-reliant, skills of the heart and mind to live with dignity and responsibility, and skills of the soul to live with purpose,” says Dorien Beurskens, co-founder and CEO of Young Africa.

Young Africa offers vocational and entrepreneurship training through its network across Southern Africa to help support Africa’s young people into work.

Young Africa works through a federation of independent not-for-profit organisations that run local training centres, youth employment programmes, and community activities across Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, and Angola. From agri-business to wedding decoration, young people can train in 46 varied trades. Every course has a mix of theory and practical study, with training in life skills, entrepreneurship, and information and communication technology.

For students in rural areas, Young Africa provides hostel accommodation or pop-up skills centres that teach courses from mobile training units. “I’ve gained an interest in business studies,” says Tafadza. “Apart from the studying and skills of the hand, we also gained life skills. I’ve realised the value of working hard to be successful.”

Every centre’s programme is informed by regional market research, so that students gain skills that meet local needs. Through Young Africa’s unique franchise model, local entrepreneurs can run their businesses from the nearest Young Africa centre and teach the skills of their trade to students. This helps centres become financially sustainable, and ensures they stay rooted in the local economy and community.

Young Africa is now extending its youth economic empowerment model to other organisations. For example, it works with four of Oak’s partners to train young people to join their teams:

• The Bethany Project provides community-based care of orphans and vulnerable children, with a focus on skills building and youth empowerment, in Zvishavane, southern Zimbabwe.

• Simukai addresses issues affecting young people and their communities. It works on child protection and advocates for an end to early childhood marriage in Manicaland, eastern Zimbabwe.

• Family Action for Community Empowerment (FACE) provides integrated care, support, and livelihoods for communities furthest from opportunity in the Makoni District of Zimbabwe.

• MASO supports the wellbeing and livelihoods of people living with HIV in Midlands Province of Zimbabwe.

Young Africa is already seeing the impact of the trainings – around 70 per cent of students find work within six months of finishing their training.² Two thirds of them start their own businesses, and the remaining third find employment in their chosen fields. The goal of teaching marketable skills to 500,000 young people is well in sight, with more than 320,000 young people reached so far.

Skills-building initiatives in Nigeria are planned to start in 2025, with future expansion to Ghana and South Africa.

Oak supports Young Africa as part of our Zimbabwe Programme, which funds local organisations involved in supporting the hopes and aspirations of Zimbabweans, particularly those furthest from opportunity. We support organisations operating in priority areas, including building skills and fostering entrepreneurship, and empowering Zimbabweans to improve their lives and communities.

References:

1. United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. Young people’s potential key to Africa’s sustainable development. Available at: https://www.un.org/ohrlls/news/young-people%E2%80%99s-potential-key-africa%E2%80%99s-sustainable-development [Accessed 12 February 2025].Young Africa.
2. Empowering youth through skills training. Available at: https://youngafrica.org/ [Accessed 12 March 2025].