Africa’s Billion-Job Challenge: How Policy Failures Are Fueling Gen Z Social Unrest

Africa is projected to need one billion new jobs by the end of the century, yet slow economic growth, weak policy execution, and political missteps are deepening the continent’s youth employment crisis. With over 60% of Africans under 25, rising unemployment, inflation, and limited economic mobility are fueling Gen Z frustration, digital activism, and widespread social unrest. This episode breaks down the structural causes behind Africa’s job deficit—poor governance, corruption perceptions, inadequate public services, and inconsistent industrial policy—and explores how these pressures are reshaping politics, business, and society.We analyze what African governments and the private sector must do to create sustainable, future-ready jobs: investing in manufacturing, technology, green energy, infrastructure, and education reform. The conversation offers an evidence-based look at how Africa can turn its demographic boom into a global economic advantage rather than a source of instability.On this season finale of the Corporate Cocktail Africa Podcast, Ondiro Oganga is joined by Hilina Legasse, Senior VP Corporate Services at Dodai, to discuss these urgent challenges and the bold solutions needed to secure Africa’s economic future.