Highlight 41/2025: Africa’s Skilled Workforce and Entrepreneurial Spirit: A Continental Report
Omokinovo Okotete, 23 October 2025
Africa is stepping boldly into a new chapter — one driven by ingenuity, ambition, and youthful energy. Across the continent, millions of young people are transforming potential into progress, building the foundations of a thriving future. With nearly 60% of its population under 25, Africa holds the world’s youngest and most dynamic generation.
Each year, millions enter the labour market — not simply seeking jobs, but creating them.
Education and technology are fuelling this transformation. Digital connectivity, urban growth, and the expansion of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) are equipping young Africans with practical, globally relevant skills. From coding and data analysis to renewable energy and creative design, African professionals are mastering the capabilities that will define the next global economy. According to the African Development Bank, the continent’s digital economy could add $180 billion to GDP by 2025.
Cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, Kigali, and Accra are now hotbeds of invention. Startup ecosystems are flourishing, powered by collaboration between governments, investors, and visionary entrepreneurs. These innovation hubs are not only producing new companies — they are nurturing a culture of creativity and resilience that redefines what’s possible.
Entrepreneurship is at the core of this awakening. More than one in five working-age Africans are building or running their own ventures — the highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world. Groundbreaking enterprises such as Flutterwave in Nigeria and M-Pesa in Kenya have reshaped financial systems, while platforms like Andela, Sokowatch, and Yoco empower small businesses and connect African talent with global markets. These success stories demonstrate how African innovation can tackle local challenges and scale globally, supported by initiatives from the World Bank and the Brookings Institution.
Women are key drivers of this progress. Nearly 27% of Africa’s entrepreneurs are women
— a figure unmatched in most regions. From technology and fashion to agriculture and finance, they are leading with vision and impact. Initiatives such as She Leads Africa and the Tony Elumelu Foundation continue to expand opportunities, mentoring the next generation of women founders and innovators.
African entrepreneurship is distinguished by its sense of purpose. Over 60% of startups integrate a social or environmental mission into their models — whether advancing education, improving healthcare, promoting sustainability, or expanding access to clean energy. Every innovation tells a story of communities uplifting themselves and charting a sustainable path forward.
Challenges remain — limited access to finance, infrastructure gaps, and skills shortages in fast-growing sectors like AI and renewable energy. Yet, each of these challenges represents an opportunity for partnership and growth. By investing in digital literacy, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems, Africa can unlock its next wave of transformation.
Africa’s story is one of determination, creativity, and courage. Its young and skilled population is redefining what it means to be a global leader in talent and innovation. The future is not arriving tomorrow — it is being built today, by the hands and minds of Africans shaping the world’s next great economic frontier.
Omokinovo Okotete, Highlight 41/2025: Africa’s Skilled Workforce and Entrepreneurial Spirit: A Continental Report, 23 October 2025, available at www.meig.ch
The views expressed in the MEIG Highlights are personal to the authors and neither reflect the positions of the MEIG Programme nor those of the University of Geneva.