South Africa’s Youth & Population Growth: A Powerhouse for Prosperity, Not a Burden, Experts Argue

• Afrika Tikkun and The Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity address critical challenges and opportunities for South Africa’s youth at Pennsylvania panel discussion

11 OCTOBER, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: For too long, the world has underestimated Africa’s youth. The prevailing narrative that a growing population is a hindrance to progress is fundamentally flawed. Instead, South Africa’s (SA’s) young population holds the key to unlocking economic growth, innovation, and societal transformation.

Yet, South Africa (SA) is grappling with one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. Decades after apartheid, structural inequalities continue to prevent many young South Africans from accessing opportunities, leaving millions of young people trapped in the cycle of poverty.

“The world has got it wrong,” stated Tukufu Zuberi, speaking at the Empowering Youth through Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Sustainable Future for South Africa panel last week. Zuberi is the Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. “They thought Africa’s high birth rates was what was keeping Africa poor. In reality, these babies are our future, and long-term, they will drive positive change,” he added.

Hosted by a leading youth development organisation, Afrika Tikkun and the Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity (CEO), the panel discussion, held in Pennsylvania, explored how entrepreneurship and sustainability can fuel SA’s future equipping current and future leaders with the skills to build equitable organisations, create positive business outcomes, and grow wealth creation opportunities.

Zuberi, speaking alongside Marc Lubner, Executive Deputy Chairman of Afrika Tikkun, Takara Lubner, a third-generation philanthropist with deep roots in Afrika Tikkun, and Associate Professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Claudio Lucarelli, explained that SA’s young people are not a burden, they are a solution. These young people are essential to enhance our future workforce and promote innovation.

“Sixty-six percent of SA’s population is aged between 15 and 64. This young population is essential for the future. We cannot build robots fast enough, and artificial intelligence isn’t the answer. SA needs a radical increase in educational access to overcome extreme inequality and the lingering effects of Apartheid.”

Marc Lubner emphasised that technology could enable SA to leapfrog into the future, “Most young South Africans have grown up with mobile phones, which means that their mindsets are broad enough not to be constrained by the poverty around them. They know that there is a world of opportunities out there.”

These young people don’t want to be seen as social grant recipients, says Lubner. “They want to be seen on social media as being employed, cool, and capable. Because phones and technology are so extensively utilised, the ability to bring in education and edutainment is going to help significantly. Integrating education with technology will spark innovation and entrepreneurship that drives real change,” he adds.

Currently operating in 5 centres of excellence and 4 support and training centres across SA, Afrika Tikkun has been tackling these challenges for 30 years through its Cradle-to-Career 360° model. Its unique and comprehensive approach to child and youth development, provides holistic programmes to reduce youth unemployment in a sustainable manner.

“Afrika Tikkun advocates partnership-focused initiatives in creating sustainable socio-economic solutions and believe that partnerships with the private sector; government; other NGOs; and civil society are critical to advancing our country,” says Takara Lubner. “South Africa’s youth are ready to shape their future and redefine the nation’s prospects. But the onus is on the country’s leaders and stakeholders to create the conditions that allow this potential to flourish,” she concludes.

The message from the panel is clear: it’s time to shift the narrative.

In a recent opinion piece, Chief Director of Innovation for Inclusive Development at the Department of Science and Innovation, Dr. Tshepang Mosiea, reinforced this call to action. “We stand at a critical juncture where innovation has the potential to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. By investing in our youth, embracing new models of growth, and fostering a culture of innovation, we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous South Africa.”

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Author: Afrika Tikkun Afrika Tikkun from Angelfish PR & Events on behalf of Afrika Tikkun.

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