What Ails the Young: Insights into Africa’s Youth from the African Peer Review Mechanism

This research paper analyzes the challenges facing Africa's youth population using reports from the African Peer Review Mechanism, focusing on education gaps and socio-economic exclusion while recommending partnerships between states and non-governmental bodies to foster entrepreneurship.

• Africa has a very young population, with 75% of people aged 35 or younger and a median age of approximately 19.3 years. This demographic presents strategic challenges that continental bodies have attempted to address, specifically through the adoption of the African Youth Charter in 2006.
• The paper identifies two primary challenges for African youth: inadequate education and training that fails to prepare students for the workforce—particularly in scientific and technological fields—and socio-economic exclusion characterized by poverty and unemployment. This underemployment is linked to increased drug abuse, gangsterism, and political conflict.
• While some youth respond to challenges with anti-social behavior, others demonstrate resourcefulness through activism and entrepreneurship. The author argues that African states cannot handle these challenges alone and should seek partnerships with non-governmental bodies, prioritizing the direction of youth energy toward economic activities.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). What Ails the Young: Insights into Africa’s Youth from the African Peer Review Mechanism. https://saiia.org.za/research/what-ails-the-young-insights-into-africas-youth-from-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. What Ails the Young: Insights into Africa’s Youth from the African Peer Review Mechanism. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/research/what-ails-the-young-insights-into-africas-youth-from-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=What Ails the Young: Insights into Africa’s Youth from the African Peer Review Mechanism |date=20 June 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/what-ails-the-young-insights-into-africas-youth-from-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2016what, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{What Ails the Young: Insights into Africa’s Youth from the African Peer Review Mechanism}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/what-ails-the-young-insights-into-africas-youth-from-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }