The three loudest countries in Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, are facing serious problems related to youth unemployment.
It has just been reported that Kenya’s youth unemployment rate exceeds 38 percent, while Nigeria and South Africa grapple with even higher rates of 42 percent and 46 respectively.
That was among the issues coming up from the CorpsAfrica’s 2025 All-Country Conference taking place in Nairobi.
It was pointed out during the Youth Conference in Nairobi, that Africa is the world’s youngest continent.
More than 70 percent of the sub-Saharan Africa’s population under the age of 30 – yet faces a youth unemployment crisis of staggering proportions.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sport, Salim Mvurya, challenged African nations to break free from donor dependency, urging a collaborative approach where governments, local businesses, diaspora networks, and communities jointly invest in youth volunteerism programs that deliver tangible opportunities, social inclusion, and dignity.
“Africa’s youth have spoken with unmistakable clarity,’ Mvurya declared. ‘They want jobs – not handouts; platforms – not patronage; and action – not promises. As policymakers, we recognize this reality. Young people aren’t waiting – they’re building. CorpsAfrica’s model proves what happens when we equip youth with both trust and tools to lead,” Mvurya stated.
More than 1,000 young change-makers, policymakers, philanthropists, and development partners from across Africa gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the CorpsAfrica’s 2025 All-Country Conference (ACC 2025).
“At a time when Africa’s youth are calling for meaningful opportunities and a voice in shaping their future, we stand firm in our belief that they are the solution. Our vision is to cultivate a generation of African leaders—rooted in community and committed to sparking sustainable change from the grassroots up,” said Liz Fanning, Founder and CEO of CorpsAfrica.
Building on the momentum of the ACC 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, this year’s five-day summit aims to elevate the role of African youth—not just as leaders of tomorrow but as present-day catalysts for community-led, youth-driven transformation.
Hosted at the Kenya School of Government, ACC 2025 brings together CorpsAfrica Volunteers, alumni, and staff from all 11 operating countries—Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, Rwanda, Morocco, Senegal, Ethiopia, Uganda, The Gambia, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire —marking a continental milestone in celebrating the power of volunteerism, African philanthropy, and youth innovation.
“Since 2011, we’ve deployed over 1,000 African volunteers to under-resourced rural communities—not to impose solutions, but to listen, collaborate, and implement low-cost, high-impact community-led projects rooted in Indigenous knowledge,” emphasized Dr Samora Otieno, CorpsAfrica’s Chief of Programs.
CorpsAfrica volunteers have spearheaded more than Over 10,500 social and economic activities and 425 small-scale, high-impact community projects since 2021, improving the lives of nearly 2 million people.
From education and clean water access to food security and youth entrepreneurship, these grassroots efforts tackle Africa’s most pressing challenges—one community at a time.
The Nairobi conference aligns with global recognition of volunteerism’s transformative potential—including the UN Volunteers’ 2022 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, which urges nations to formally recognize volunteer time as a measurable national economic asset.