The youth of a nation are one of its most prized assets. Over the course of history, we have seen time and again how it is young people who have spear-headed revolutionary social, political, economic and technological advancements.
Some of the world’s most notable and successful companies today have been founded by the youth. Micorsoft was founded by Bill Gates, a student at Harvard University at the time. Jerry Yang and David Filo, Post graduate students at Stanford University, founded Yahoo, which was the result of an experiment they conducted in their spare time. Dell was founded by Michael Dell when he was still a student at the University of Texas. Nike, one of the world’s most popular athletic and sports apparel brands, was founded by a student, Phil Knight. Pizza Hut was founded by a student. Google was founded by 2 Stanford PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Subway was founded by a student. Federal Express, which came with the concept of overnight mail, was founded by a student. Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs’, now one of the most recognisable brands in music, has an entrepreneurial journey which started when he was still a student at Howard University. Music mogul Russell Simmons, a cofounder of record label Def Jam, started his journey as a student at the University of New York. The HearZa App, an app which allows users to test their hearing using a smart phone, was founded by researchers from my Alma Mater, the University of Pretoria. Dry Bath, the world’s first solution which can be used to cleanse one’s self in place of water, was founded by a high scholar, Ludwick Marishane. Funding for building the prototype was later raised while a student at the University of Cape Town. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin while they were still students.
There are numerous other examples in which young people have shown ingenuity, tenacity, skill, courage, critical thought and excellent execution second to none. This is true for not only entrepreneurs and businessmen, but also for activists, civil society leaders, student leaders, young professionals, researchers, scientists, engineers, artists and across the board.
However, despite the above, one still sees an under-representation of young people in key positions across a wide array or arenas. As of 2015, the average age of Africa's 10 oldest presidents was approximately 78.5. This pales in comparison to those of the 10 most developed economies, which averaged at age 52. The boards of many companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, are rather homogenous and grey-haired. The parliament of the Republic of South Africa in 2015, had its oldest MP sworn in at age 85 and the youngest at age 22. What is a concern is that rather glaringly, the number of young people in the South African parliament is incredibly low.
Looking at the future, one has reason to embrace an air of optimism, that the future of Africa is bright. The continent, as of 2016, had a population of approximately 1.2 billion people. According to United Nations 2016 data, 226 million people in Africa were aged between 15 and 24, making it the world’s youngest continent. By 2030, this number is set to increase by a whopping 42%. In my article published in June 2015 entitled, Which Industries are Set to Outperform Across Sub Saharan Africa Over the Next Decade? I highlighted some sectors which will play a significant role in the continents development. These include the following, "Overall infrastructure spending in the Sub-Saharan Africa region is forecast to expand by some 10% per annum over the next 10 years- exceeding $180 billion US by 2025. South Africa and Nigeria are key players in the infrastructure market, but other countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania are also well-poised for growth. Prospects in most regions’ economies are promising, as they managed to circumnavigate a violent 2008 global financial crisis.
A substantial increase in spending in the basic manufacturing sector is expected in the region. Annual spending in the chemical, metals and fuels sector is forecasted to increase across the 7 major African economies to $16 billion US, an increase from the approximate $6 billion US of 2012, a more than 100% change." If one includes the massive gains which could be obtained from the infusing of a highly industrialised continent in an era in which the 4th industrial revolution will enjoy pre-eminence, one could be talking of a completely different continent.
The above present both a challenge and an opportunity. The first challenge is that of providing nothing short of world-class education at an affordable cost. The constantly moving technological frontier demands that archaic methods and systems be re-evaluated and replaced with more efficient and effective methods if need be. This will ensure an innovative, knowledgeable and future-fit youth ready to play a meaningful role, taking the various opportunities presented to it by the continent.
Secondly, as highlighted above, Africa is the world’s youngest continent, and will continue to be young for the foreseeable future. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to expose the next generation of leaders to avenues and streams which will promote the gaining of experience and expertise which will produce even more effective leaders in the future.
It is incumbent upon organisations and nations to ensure that the youth are supported and nurtured, exposed to various opportunities for growth and development and given the freedom to ascend to positions of influence and leadership. As history has proven time and again, the youth are a critical game changer for competitiveness and progress.
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