ABSTRACT
By the year 2050, 70 per cent of the world’s population will be urban. With 1.5 million people migrating into cities every week, managing and meeting their employment needs and expectations is one of the most important development challenges facing the world today (Wilson Center, 2017). Africa accounts for 1.2 billion people, representing 16 per cent of the world’s population. Out of the total expected global population growth from 2015 to 2050, 50 per cent of the growth is expected to occur in Africa. The essential feature of Africa’s population growth is that due to its large concentration of young adults who are yet to reach their reproductive prime, even if fertility rates fall, the sheer number of people of childbearing age will cause the population to increase. The Global Migration Group (2014) reveals that Africa’s share of adolescents and youth aged 15–24 is about 205 million, and is projected to more than double by 2100, making it the region with the highest youth population in the world. Children under 15 years of age and persons between ages 15 and 24 make up 60 per cent of Africa’s current population (UN DESA, 2015). The report explains that unemployment is higher among youth than other population groups. As this cohort ages and expands, greater pressure will be exerted on the labour markets of struggling economies.
