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

The document identifies a critical gap between the education provided to African youth and the requirements of the workforce, noting a need for more scientific and technological training. It highlights how socio-economic exclusion and underemployment contribute to drug abuse, gangsterism, and political conflict. While noting that states cannot address these issues alone, the paper emphasizes the potential of youth entrepreneurship and activism as assets for the future, recommending partnerships with non-governmental bodies.

• The current state of education and training in Africa fails to adequately prepare youth for the workforce, with a specific need for increased opportunities in scientific and technological fields.
• Socio-economic exclusion, characterized by poverty and unemployment, limits social mobility and creates conditions conducive to drug abuse, gangsterism, and political conflict.
• African states lack the capacity to address youth challenges independently and should prioritize steering youth toward entrepreneurship and economic activities through partnerships with non-governmental bodies.

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} }