Young, African And Building An Empire

This is the best time in history to be young and African. We live in an era characterised by an abundance of opportunities and young people starting sustainable businesses across the continent. The conversation about Africa is gradually shifting from that of poverty to one about creativity, business, and investment.

“Entrepreneurship is having a transformative effect across the continent as more and more young people are starting their own businesses rather than waiting to be employed by someone,” notes Marcello Schermer, Regional Manager for Africa at Seedstars World, a global startup competition. “Many governments, corporates, investors and ecosystem builders have understood that, which is why you’re seeing co-working spaces, accelerators and all kinds of startup programmes pip up everywhere from Morocco to Mali, to Ethiopia and Mozambique, and anywhere in between.”

Countries like Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and many others have taken centre stage as some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Contributing to the continent’s economic growth is a vastly growing number of hungry young entrepreneurs doing wonders across various sectors. Let’s get to know some of them: