Africa’s ambitious employment target: 100 million jobs in five years
The Africa Investment Summit (AIS) has reiterated a bold ambition established last month for the creation of 100 million jobs across the continent over the next five years.
This sweeping initiative aims not only to address unemployment but also to foster economic growth in the heart of Africa.
At a briefing to Africa Heads of Mission on Friday, AIS Trustee Dr Sindiswa Mzamo called for collective action, urging leaders to unite in realising this vision.
Mzamo said Africa was the world’s richest continent with 1.4 billion consumers in a market worth $3.4 trillion that was growing at 5% per year.
“We must walk the talk and create the result we want to see. It is time to come together and we need your energy. People want action,” she said, underlining the urgency of the initiative.
The vision of the AIS is to make the elephant of 100 million jobs achievable by breaking it down to bite-sized chunks. In particular, if the 100 million is divided by 55 African countries and then further by seven sectors, and in turn divided by 5 years, then the bite-size is only 51 948 per year per sector.
The seven sectors identified to carry the load are agriculture, construction, information technology, manufacturing, mining, renewable energy and tourism.
Cuthbert Ncube, executive chairman of the Africa Tourism Board, welcomed problems as he said that would unleash the creativity required to overcome the problems.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that African airlines saw a 10.4% year-on-year increase in demand in October 2024 as business and tourism travel continued its revival after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is by the exchange of knowledge that we can overcome problems. There are more than 700 State-registered universities on the African continent and we can use that knowledge depository to empower the youth,” he said.
Slaven Gajović, the chairman of the Maximum Group said we must be cheerleaders in the achievement of 100 million jobs in five years.
“For those who say that this goal is unachievable, I say to you that Peru set a goal of creating one million jobs within five years and it was a target they achieved,” Gajović said.
“In a similar manner, we have the opportunity to create a renewed relationship between the government sector, private sector and social society to start a revolution that we result in 100 million jobs.”
Noluthando Mashologu, deputy chairperson of the Innovation Hub shared a mantra that had been a motivating force for her rise from Khayelitsha to the Innovation Hub.
“Khayelitsha is not normally a place that you would go to for excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, but our teachers on a daily basis told us ‘No excuses, just success’. That is a mantra that will help us to create 100 million jobs in five years,” she said.