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Africa is a 1.2 billion person market on the cusp of dramatic and transformative growth. It is adopting new technology and fostering new entrepreneurial ventures to address challenges to its development. At the same time, it is the continent with the largest rate of population growth with the number estimated to double by 2050.
With this growing population, there is a challenge of addressing youth unemployment as it is estimated that 18 million new jobs need to be created annually in order to compensate for the youth that will be entering into the labour market. Currently 3 million are made annually. Along with this, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of work on the continent has changed. The tourism and service sector has been hit the worst, and employers are looking for new ways to increase productivity, engage with new customers, and grow their business. In order to do this new ideas and skills are needed from employees to promote this transition and to attract investors that will help unlock Africa's economic future. With this, new conversations are occurring around what measures African nations need to take to address the new terrain in their countries. Many innovative organisations are working to establish pathways for young people into employment and to help Africa capitalise on their fast-growing economies. In order to meet the needs of the coming decade to build profitable, and sustainable enterprises, executives need to meet challenges with innovation, and job-seekers will need to develop the skill-sets necessary to meet the unmet market demands.
ORGANIZER: Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa at LSE
WEBSITE: https://www.lse.ac.uk/Events/2021/03/202103161400/work