AFRICAN FUTURES CONFERENCE 2025: Young Changemakers Presentations

This report, produced by the Institute for Security Studies for the African Futures Conference 2025, presents a series of foresight-driven narratives and visions for Africa in 2050. Written by young changemakers, the document outlines a future where the continent leverages its youth demographic, green energy, and technological innovation to move from a state of dependency to global leadership in culture, governance, and sustainable development.

• By 2050, Africa is envisioned as a global leader with a population of 2.5 billion people, where the youth demographic has transitioned from a perceived burden to a "powerful dividend in history". The vision describes a continent powered by clean energy from "sun, wind and geothermal heat" and utilizing locally built data networks.
• The transition to a sustainable economy is characterized by a shift from resource extraction to internal value addition. In this future, minerals like lithium from Zimbabwe are used to power batteries in Zambia and electric cars assembled in South Africa, ensuring that "resources would no longer leave unprocessed".
• A vision for the future of work emphasizes the creation of "decent work" characterized by fair wages, safety, and dignity. This includes a shift where public service becomes a highly respected career path, with competitive salaries and transparent management, reducing the need for youth to migrate out of desperation.
• Educational reform is presented as a cornerstone for growth, moving away from "factories of memorisation" toward experiential and context-rooted learning. This includes the integration of STEM, digital literacy, and climate education, as seen in the proposed "2030 Education for Climate and Innovation Accord" endorsed by 44 African countries.
• Governance in 2050 is envisioned as a co-governed, transparent system utilizing technology to combat corruption. Examples include the use of blockchain for real-time budget tracking and the establishment of youth climate councils with "budgetary authority, policy control and legislative initiative power" in 31 African countries by 2032.
• Climate action is framed as an opportunity for Africa to lead the world in sustainable design. This includes the development of massive solar farms in the Sahel, geothermal energy exports from East Africa, and the restoration of 150,000 hectares of coastal wetlands by Senegal’s Youth-Led Mangrove Alliance.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2025). AFRICAN FUTURES CONFERENCE 2025: Young Changemakers Presentations. https://futures.issafrica.org/export/sites/afi/reports/pdfs/ISS-Young-changemakers-presentations-03.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. AFRICAN FUTURES CONFERENCE 2025: Young Changemakers Presentations. 2025. https://futures.issafrica.org/export/sites/afi/reports/pdfs/ISS-Young-changemakers-presentations-03.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=AFRICAN FUTURES CONFERENCE 2025: Young Changemakers Presentations |date=2025 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/export/sites/afi/reports/pdfs/ISS-Young-changemakers-presentations-03.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2025african, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{AFRICAN FUTURES CONFERENCE 2025: Young Changemakers Presentations}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2025}, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/export/sites/afi/reports/pdfs/ISS-Young-changemakers-presentations-03.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }