How Africa’s young entrepreneurs are changing fortunes in tough times

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There are countless reasons young Africans are opting for entrepreneurship as a career. One of these is the African economy is not creating jobs equal to the supply of the available labour force.

According to the World Economic Forum, 77% of Africa’s population is below the age of 35. The African Development Bank (AfDB) predicts there will be 850 million young people on the continent by 2063 and they’ll constitute more than half of the working-age population.

A recent AfDB report shows that 10 to 12 million young Africans enter the job market each year but the economy creates only three million jobs annually. This means that more than seven million young people entering the job market each year have no choice but to be unemployed, work in the informal sector, be underemployed or start a business and create employment. 

Across the continent, many young people are building their own businesses. From technology startups to innovations that disrupt conventions in industries such as agriculture and transport, they are solving economic issues that confront them. They’re creating employment and economic opportunities for themselves and their peers. 

Many of these young entrepreneurs have strong stories to tell, some of which have been documented by Africa’s entrepreneurship initiative, the Anzisha Prize. 

Breaking down stereotypes and barriers

Having experienced unemployment after graduating from university, and the consequent poverty suffered by the majority of the population in her area, Masello Mokhoro, 23, who lives in the Free State, decided to become a job creator. Mokhoro also struggled to get land for her business. She has a passion for the natural environment, her community and socioeconomic change. 

It was the combination of this passion and the hardships that confronted her, particularly in the agricultural sector, which informed her decision to establish Starlicious Enterprises, a broilers and piglets agribusiness. 

Mokhoro employs permanent and seasonal employees, combatting the dual problems of high unemployment and poverty. She also mentors agricultural students about the business side of the industry.

Food security through technology

Nigeria has in the past two decades faced high food insecurity as a  result of neglect in domestic food production caused in part by what economists term the resource curse and the weak currency. Eneyi Oshi, a 22-year-old technology entrepreneur whose web and mobile platform Farmisphere distributes  farm produce from her other business ,Maatalous Nasah, to urban dwellers across the country aims to mitigate this problem. The business also sells farming equipment to small-scale farmers. Oshi’s goal is to mitigate food insecurity and high joblessness among the youth.

Making a living off the land

It is estimated that 2.1 million people (14% of the analysed population) in Kenya are experiencing elevated levels of acute food insecurity. Martin Ondiwa, 22, started Greenfarms, which grows and sells fresh produce to consumers and vendors across Kenya, including kale, maize, onions, capsicum, papayas, and passion fruit. It was Martin’s mother who noticed his love for being productive with the land and gave him a few hectares to get him started on his farming career. The business continues to grow in bounds and employs young people on the farm and in the office.

Confronting severe economic hardships

With a passion for technology and artificial intelligence, Zimbabwe’s Munyaradzi Makosa tasked himself with the responsibility to solve Africa’s problems, doing so under some of the harshest trading environments in the world. Makosa’s task has therefore begun at home. The 21-year-old taught himself how to program computers and to market his business and skills in this digital era. 

He and his three co-founders established Farmhut with the core purpose of enabling a sustainable farming environment among farmers all year round. Farmhut is an artificial intelligence-enabled marketplace connecting Zimbabwean farmers to markets in and outside the country, helping them reach customers and secure fair payments for their products. Farmhut earns revenue through a subscription service to these farmers, vendor sales of fruits and vegetables and a chatbot advertising space for agricultural service providers. The business aims to expand across the Southern African Development Community in the next three years.

Helping young people access higher education

Tsantatiana Rakotoarimanga, a 23-year-old technology entrepreneur, whose company, Dream Study Agency, through its online application Mapwess, helps students in Madagascar apply to universities abroad. Rakotoarimanga recognised the shortages of higher education facilities in his country and the difficulty in accessing facilities elsewhere because of financial problems. 

Mapwess is an online platform that supports these students to find and apply to globally recognised universities. The venture has assisted students from Madagascar, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Togo. To date, Dream Study Agency has been able to place 80% of its students in recognised institutions. It has signed nine agreements with nine universities in Mauritius and Rwanda. The company employs students as agents, allowing them to earn income through commission.

These efforts undertaken by  young people in response to problems they have identified have proven to bring benefits to the lives of young people and their communities, contributing to economic growth on the continent. 

It is for this reason that the Anzisha Prize, created through the partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Africa Leadership Academy, identified these young entrepreneurs for their catalytic potential to end the continent’s chronic joblessness and meet the anticipated demand for jobs highlighted in the AfDB report.