Oliver Cann, Director, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 79 799 3405; Email: Oliver.Cann@weforum.org
Cape Town, South Africa, 4 June 2015 – Integrating young people into the policy and decision-making processes today is essential to securing Africa’s future, Jacob G. Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, told business, government and civil society leaders in the opening session of the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa. “It needs all of us to come together to ensure that we have very clear programmes that give the youth a role to play, but they must also be empowered. The days are gone when you could say that only old people can lead. I don’t think we can create a gap between today and the future with regard to the participation of the youth. Youth participation must be visible and effective,” he said.
This means a focus on education, Zuma argued. “We should prepare people now. They should be employed and we should create opportunities for them,” he said. Skills development is essential, especially to address the problem of youth unemployment and under-employment, added Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Vice-President of Ghana, in the same session. “The education system is throwing out people who can read but are not numerate or technically competent. We need support so we can develop enterprising youth,” he said. Zuma agreed: “Having skills will help empowered youth take us forward. We must create entrepreneurs out of them so that they themselves can create jobs.”
More than 1,250 participants are taking part in the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3 to 5 June 2015. The theme of the meeting is “Then and Now: Reimagining Africa’s Future”.
Reflecting on Africa’s future, Amissah-Arthur said that Africa is on the right path, with countries – even though they may have different political systems – generally agreeing on what must be done to achieve sustainable growth and peaceful development. “We have made mistakes, but we have learned from them and we go forward in hope,” he said. Asked for his vision of Africa in 25 years, Zuma replied: “We would like by 2040 to see Africa industrialized. We want to see Africa fully benefiting from its resources and creating jobs and we would like Africa integrated to look like one unit, one of regions leading the world, with the youth being part of the leadership.”
The Co-Chairs of the World Economic on Africa are: Antony Jenkins, Group Chief Executive, Barclays, United Kingdom; Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Undersecretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN), New York; Patrice Motsepe, Founder and Executive Chairman, African Rainbow Minerals, South Africa; Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever, United Kingdom; and Sir Michael Rake, Chairman, BT Group, United Kingdom.
Notes to Editors
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