Today's youths will change Africa for the better

It might not seem so at the moment, but things are likely to change in Africa－for the better－in the next two years. That's not an idle forecast, but rather one that is backed by empirical evidence. It's one of the key findings of the second edition of the African Youth Survey, conducted last year as the continent struggled through the last of the COVID-19 pandemic-necessitated lockdowns.

The survey, first conducted in 2019, is an ambitious attempt to gauge the aspirations and ambitions of the next generation of African leaders. Spread across 15 countries, including five not covered by the inaugural survey, researchers spoke to more than 4,500 respondents, all between 18 and 24 years old.

Another important finding is the drop in Afro-optimism, not in the ability of the continent as a whole, but in the ability of their respective countries to manage their expectations. The biggest drop has occurred in Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa. There could be many reasons for that: the pandemic itself, instability, the economy.

Those concerns are followed closely by worries about corruption, education standard, job creation and, significantly, the ease of starting a business. The entrepreneurial spirit flows strongly through this generation. Today's youths will not depend on international aid for subsistence, nor will they enter politics to gain patronage and enrich themselves. Three quarters of them want to start their own business, but access to capital is their biggest barrier, and technology is critically important to most of the start-ups.

This is a generation that wants to control its own destiny. Two-thirds of them will marry later than their parents did; 72 percent intend to have fewer children. And most of them are not happy with their career prospects in their own countries, so half of them intend to migrate to another country, with South Africa being the best option on the continent－followed by Europe and the US, if they can.

Of those that want to migrate, half don't intend to return to their country. Three quarters of them believe owning land is vital for their financial well-being, and 77 percent are scared they won't be able to buy their own homes.

Yet for all that, 77 percent believe life will improve in the next two years, and more than two-thirds are convinced they will have better lives than their parents.

An overwhelming majority of the youths believe in the power of democracy for Africa, although most of them think the continent should develop its own indigenous version of democracy, free from Western influence. They are well aware of the danger of climate change because they are living through it, with half of them spending a quarter of their income every month to buy fresh water. Although they don't think their governments are doing enough to reduce carbon emissions, they are committed to doing what they can in their own lives.

Like youths the world over, African youths increasingly view internet connectivity as a basic human right, especially because two-thirds of them find the cost of data high and only 12 percent can afford to buy it every day, even though three-quarters of them spend an hour a day on social media. Previously, they used it to keep in touch, but an increasing number of them are now using it to access news. And they are increasingly aware of fake news and are on the lookout for national leaders using it as a tactic to push their own agendas and win the support they might not otherwise deserve.

African youths are fully aware of the importance of foreign relations, with China being seen as the most influential, and positive, international player, both in terms of aid and goods for sale across the continent, followed by the United States, the African Union, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, and the United Kingdom.

But a growing number of youths also hope China invests more in local communities. But it is not limited to China, as it's a widespread feeling that many multinational companies have come to Africa and taken far more than they have given. In fact, more than a third of South Africans, Ugandans and Ethiopians see foreign influence as negative.

The next group of African leaders will be very unlike the current generation, possibly almost unrecognizable from the generation before. When this survey was first conducted, I believed the time was right to test the pulse of youths because they are like their age group in other parts of the world－born free.

This African generation is free, not from white domination as such, but from the inter-generational burden of emerging from the shackles of centuries of colonialism. They know what they want, how to get it and what to do if their initial plan doesn't work.

Africa's greatest resource is not its mines, but rather its people. The African Youth Survey 2022 bears this out－and that's great news for those of us who truly believe in making the "African Century" a reality in our lifetime.

The author, an African industrialist and philanthropist, chairs the Ichikowitz Family Foundation that conceptualized and funded the African Youth Survey. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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