This is the 13th post in a blog series to be published in 2021 by the Secretariat on behalf of the AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and the Calestous Juma Executive Dialogues (CJED)

Goal 1 of Africa’s ambitious 50-year Agenda-2063 strategy is “A High Standard of Living, Quality of Life and Well Being for All Citizens”. Priority areas enlisted within this goal includes Incomes, Jobs and Decent work. In the assessment of Continental Performance against 2019 targets of Agenda 2063, a score of 56% was recorded for Goal 1[1]. Although half the target, it points to continued efforts towards addressing unemployment on the continent

The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on continental gains in implementing Agenda 2063 have been severe, in an already vulnerable economic environment. For example, it has been estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced African economies to contract by approximately 1.4% in gross domestic product (GDP) and by a further 7.8% for even smaller African economies.[2] Overall, the global GDP was projected to decline by approximately 4.5% in 2020 before increasing by 5% in 2021. Furthermore, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that global unemployment rose to approximately 9.4% in the 4th quarter 2020, from approximately 5.4% in 2019.[3] As such, the African continent is facing serious challenges regarding job losses and unemployment, more especially among the youth demographic.

Unfortunately, it has been estimated that over 20 million jobs will be lost in Africa due to the COVID-19 crisis.[4] These job losses are likely to impact Africa’s youth more because of Africa’s dominant youth’s demographic against other continents. Fundamentally, it is probable that by 2030, one-fifth of the global labour force, as well as approximately one-third of the global youth labor force will come from the African continent[5]. Therefore, timely, sustainable, and effective job creation interventions are required to address the rapidly shrinking socio-economic activities suitable for Africa’s youth.

African countries such as Uganda, Malawi, and Ethiopia, among others, have reported devastating impacts on their labour markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, it was reported that by June 2020, approximately 45%, 8%, and 6% of the formal labour market sectors of Uganda, Ethiopia, and Malawi, respectively, had stopped working.[6] Unfortunately, this has resulted in a considerable share of youth unemployment associated with socio-economic inequalities and corruption. Thus, this causes socio-economic instability and national insecurity for the African continent.[7] Some African countries are still imposing national lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19[8], and this has slowed down economic activity that resulted in stunted job creation opportunities during the pandemic.

Commendably, technology and innovation have gained applications during the pandemic globally. Emerging technologies are being utilized to address challenges such as climate change, healthcare services, finance and banking, manufacturing, food insecurity, and social inequality. As such, these emerging technologies are transcending national jurisdictions through repurposed scientific and technological approaches, as well as policy rethinking to address pre-COVID-19 global challenges.[9] Furthermore, as the global and continental challenges are being addressed, emerging technologies are being utilized to reshape the African continental norms and frameworks and subsequently create job opportunities for Africa’s youth. This is being accomplished by implementing emerging technologies such as blockchain technology and artificial intelligence in consumer and agricultural services, gene editing in biotechnology, and emerging innovations in healthcare services.

The African Union High-Level on Innovation and Emerging Technologies (APET) believes that channelling science, technology, and innovation into specific African challenges can effectively expedite job creation for the youth across the African continent. Africa can achieve innovation and technology-based socio-economic transformation to benefit Africa’s youth according to the aspirations of the Africa Union Agenda 2063 and the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024).

In several African countries such as Uganda, young entrepreneurs and innovators have taken advantage of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and 3D printing to manufacture face masks and shields to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] Furthermore, through social media platforms using digital technologies, Africa’s youth has marketed and traded their products to consumers within their communities and even across national borders. As such, the pandemic era has demonstrated that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, 3D printing, and digital technologies can increasingly contribute to the economy by positively impacting labour demand and supply if properly applied.  Consequently, this can significantly contribute to the estimated 230 million digital technology jobs projected for the African continent by 2030.[11]

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in enormous challenges and loss of African lives, it has also presented opportunities towards rethinking and restructuring the infrastructural and transformational changes for the betterment of the African continent. This could increase job creation opportunities for Africa’s youth towards capitalizing on emerging technology advancements to drive socio-economic development. African governments are encouraged to empower the youth through deliberate enabling policy, infrastructural, ethical, and regulatory frameworks that can promote innovation on emerging technologies. Such frameworks can, among other things, impart Africa’s youth with technology skills development suitable for addressing continental challenges. Subsequently, this can accelerate youth’s job creation through science, technology, and innovation post the pandemic.

Finally, by addressing the grand challenges that the continent is currently facing, Africa could create innovative opportunities for Africa’s youth. These innovative technology-based solutions are crucial components for the post-pandemic socio-economic recovery efforts, especially for Africa’s youth populace. In conclusion, considerable investment towards enabling policy and infrastructure in emerging technologies can enhance innovation and promote technology-based job creation opportunities for Africa’s youth across the continent.

Featured Bloggers – APET Secretariat

Justina Dugbazah

Barbara Glover

Bhekani Mbuli

Chifundo Kungade

[1] https://au.int/en/documents/20200208/first-continental-report-implementation-agenda-2063

[2] Grace Gondwe, Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Africa’s Economic Development, UNCTAD/ALDC/MISC/2020/3, https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/aldcmisc2020d3_en.pdf.

[3] http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/the-territorial-impact-of-covid-19-managing-the-crisis-across-levels-of-government-d3e314e1/.

[4] https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_767028.pdf.

[5] https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/ADR15_chapter_5.pdf

[6] https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/labor-market-impacts-covid-19-four-african-countries.

[7] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/covid-19-is-likely-to-increase-youth-unemployment-in-africa-this-is-how-business-can-mitigate-the-damage/.

[8] https://www.enca.com/news/kenya-imposes-nairobi-lockdown-shuts-schools-contain-covid-19

[9] https://unctad.org/news/how-science-tech-and-innovation-can-help-beyond-pandemic.

[10] https://innovationaction.org/lpls/gas.

[11] https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/Africa/Pages/projects/2020/covid-africa.aspx.