Ichikowitz Foundation commissions most comprehensive research of Africa’s youth

The Ichikowitz Family Foundation, a leading African non-governmental organization (NGO), and PSB Insights, a global insights consultancy, today announced the commissioning of the African Youth Survey 2024 - the world’s most comprehensive and exclusive research study of Africa’s young people to date.

Six new countries have been included in the 2024 Survey: Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, and Namibia. The ten other countries surveyed are Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia. This brings the total number of countries polled to 25, with almost 15,000 interviews having been conducted since the inception of the African Youth Survey in 2020.

Collectively, these countries represent approximately 84% of the total population in sub-Saharan Africa and Sudan. United Nations (UN) estimates further suggest that nearly 70% of these countries’ populations are under 30 years old.

The African Youth Survey is one of the most important research studies on young people living, learning, and working across Africa. The study is globally recognized as the leading in-depth exploration of how young people aged 18-24 across the continent view themselves, their rights, their place in the world around them, and their future.

Ivor Ichikowitz, Chairman of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, said: “One of the most important demographic shifts happening across the world today is Africa’s burgeoning youth population. Our continent’s total population stands at 1.4 billion; and by 2050, it will add another billion people, by which time young Africans will constitute the world’s largest source of labor. By the end of the century, the population in Africa is projected to reach 4.2 billion – representing 40% of the world’s population – and most of them will be in their twenties.

“It has never been more important that policymakers around the world understand and listen to the voices of Africa’s youth. Whether on natural resource economics, the tangible impacts of climate change, efforts to combat disease, or to preserve democracy - these are all areas in which global engagement will be critical. Through the African Youth Survey, Africa’s youth are voicing their ambitions and challenges. How the rest of the world responds will shape the future of our planet”.

The 2024 Survey builds on the success of the previous waves of research, conducted in 2020 and 2022, which highlighted key concerns among young Africans regarding infectious diseases such as COVID-19, security and conflict, the economy, climate, and other topline issues.

The 2024 study will touch on a wide range of topics relevant to youth today, including employment, security, emigration, foreign relations, climate change, democratic values, social justice, social media, and technology. Furthermore, to mark 30 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa, the African Youth Survey will deep-dive into how far young South Africans believe the ‘Rainbow Nation’ has come from the dawn of its independence. These findings will be published in a special ‘South Africa: 30 Years of Democracy Report’ in May 2024.

Following a year in which coup d'états toppled regimes in Gabon, Niger, and Burkina Faso, and have led to the collapse of nine African governments since 2020, the upcoming study will offer refreshed insights into the resiliency of democracy and state institutions across the African continent.

This year’s African Youth Survey will finally place great emphasis on young Africans' impressions of the seismic geopolitical shifts around them, such as rising Chinese influence and the threat of resurging economic neocolonialism, the expansion of BRICS, and the direct ramifications of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict on food security and stability at home.

The Ichikowitz Family Foundation once again partnered with PSB Insights, a leading global opinion polling and research firm. PSB Insights also undertook fieldwork and analysis for the 2020 and 2022 surveys.

Cole Ryan, a Vice President and the research lead at PSB Insights said, "We are thrilled to once again partner with the Ichikowitz Family Foundation for the African Youth Survey 2024. This survey is more than just a collection of data; it's an opportunity to hear directly from Africa's youth and understand their perspectives on a range of critical issues. Their voices will not only shape the future of Africa but also have significant implications for the rest of the world.”

The survey's findings are eagerly anticipated and expected to be published during May-June 2024.

“By commissioning the African Youth Survey 2024, we are not just gathering interesting research; we are amplifying the voices of Africa's youth to steer global discourse and action. This survey is a testament to our commitment to understanding and harnessing the aspirations, challenges, and true dynamism of Africa's young population. Through the study, we are presenting a roadmap for action, where we can transform these insights into policies and strategies that will propel the African continent and its people forward," concluded Ichikowitz.