Africa's Gen Z Movement Throws Down Gauntlet to Political Elites

Kim Heller

The youth of Africa, with their unwavering determination and resilience, are not just displaying their physical strength; they are contesting the status quo of the Continent and its flawed leadership. Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and Madagascar, in particular, have witnessed heightened levels of youth dissatisfaction in recent years.

The level of fury among the youth is not only justified but a necessary wake-up call for governments and postcolonial systems that prioritise elites over the masses and self-serving interests over the well-being of the citizenry.

Youth in many parts of Africa have been disappointed and abandoned by their governments. The call for a renewed social accord between the government and citizens, centred on accountability, is not only legitimate but also urgent.

Governments have failed to provide better economic possibilities and enhance the material conditions of their citizens. The youth are growing increasingly impatient. This wave of disenchantment is disturbing the comfort zone of incumbent leaders, who have become far too conceited and complacent in their thrones of power.

With over 60 per cent of Africa's population under 25 years of age, the youth are a real force for change. However, rather than being enabled to help build a prosperous Continent, millions of young Africans are caught in the abyss of shattered liberation promises, economic exclusion, unemployment, and poverty.

Youth unemployment rates in South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya are 63.9%, 40%, 36%, and close to 20%, respectively. Twinned with rapidly inflated living costs, the prospects for youth prosperity are all but collapsed.

In June 2024, President William Ruto's Finance Bill, which aimed to increase taxation on basic goods, sparked massive protests in Kenya. Thousands of young Kenyans took to the streets and optimised social media platforms to express their discontent.

The protests were highly effective, although sadly, over 40 lives were lost. Ruto had little option but to withdraw the Finance Bill. He was also pressured into reshuffling his cabinet. For many young Kenyans, calls for Ruto's resignation continue to be expressed as a national youth chant.

The Kenyan youth revolt was a tipping point. Firstly, it marked a new age of resistance by extending the site of struggle beyond the physical to the digital terrain, which significantly increased its international reach and exposure, attracting world attention to their struggle for human rights and better governance. Secondly, it sets the stage for broader-based continental resistance.

Since the Kenyan protests, there has been a resurgence of youth protests in Nigeria against rising living costs, unemployment, and poor infrastructure and services. In the last week of September, Madagascar was plagued by youth protests sparked by anger over prolonged power blackouts, water shortages, and government corruption under the administration of President Andry Rajoelina.

Protests by young citizens, many in their teens, were quashed by teargas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. The United Nations reported that at least twenty-two protesters were killed and over one hundred were injured. On 29 September, four days into the protests, Rajoelina dissolved his government. Protesters, emboldened by this, are now calling for his resignation.

September also saw Morocco erupt in protest action, sparked by the government's lavish spending on the 2030 FIFA World Cup at a time when the country was weakened by joblessness, deficient service delivery, and government corruption. Early October statistics indicate that three protestors were killed, hundreds imprisoned, and government buildings set alight.

Comparisons have been drawn between the youth protests in Africa and the activism of the Arab Spring. However, the differences are stark. The 2011 Arab Spring uprisings were focused on regime change, while the recent wave of African youth protests appears to be more concerned with holding their governments accountable.

All the youth protests in Africa have highlighted a trend among the youth to hold their governments accountable. Activism has been fast and furious. The challenge is to fuel a sustainable flame of resistance rather than a spark that can be quickly extinguished.

Armed with a noble cause and fiery determination, as well as high digital agility, the youth have the potential to move beyond isolated or sporadic moments of revolutionary activity. If these protests are to lead an indelible impact, street protests will need to evolve into a permanent zone of influence through continent-wide youth pan-africanist collaborations and solidarity.

This is possible given the crossover of issues and grievances. These movements hold the potential to herald in a fundamental socio-economic transformation at the national and continental levels, if they use geo-political multiplicity to optimise rather than diffuse impact and efforts.

United action could dislodge the untenable universe of postcolonial governance and give rise to a new domain of political and economic accountability. The potential is enormous. The cause is noble. Solidarity is critical.

A shared vision of what a decolonised, self-driven Africa could look like will enable a long-term perspective and will give structure to calls for material reforms and recalibration. If the youth movements can maintain their integrity and momentum afloat, they will be kingmakers in the future of the Continent. The power of solidarity is a Goliath force.

The youth of Africa, with their innovative methodologies and passion for change, are uniquely placed to reimagine the Continent's future.

Significant policy reversals and government reshuffles demonstrate that assertive and effectual action can lead to considerable shifts in governance and socio-economic progress.

Greedy and self-serving elites who prioritise their own interests over the public good should be forewarned that their influence and power are diminishing.

* Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.