Wednesday, 18 December 2024

11am Washington D.C.
4pm London / Dakar
5pm Paris / Kinshasa
6pm Cape Town
7pm Nairobi

There is a deepening realization that a shift has taken place in the political dynamics of Southern Africa – and perhaps more broadly, across the continent. In recent elections, from South Africa to Senegal, the youth have risen up to make their voices heard at the ballot box, but also in the streets. Will this trend continue into 2025? And how can youth leaders build platforms to both capitalize on and sustain this momentum?

The manner in which young people are engaging in discussions, organizing, and fighting for the future they want is striking. And this seeming shift in the balance of power, especially in Southern Africa – from liberation parties to powerful new youth movements – is not merely about young people gaining space and agency, but about them actively pushing back, using their energies to redefine political spaces. The examples from 2024 are numerous.

The ANC in South Africa, for example, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time, which led the government to enter a government of national unity. In Botswana, we witnessed a similar shift with the liberation BDP party – dominant for nearly half a century – dramatically losing its grip on power. In Mauritius, too, there are movements favoring electoral change. Most dramatically in Namibia, the political tide seriously shifted, with SWAPO losing a significant number of parliamentary seats while receiving the lowest number of MPs since it took power.

A particularly striking element across the region is how young citizens are boldly engaging with political processes beyond Election Day– often facing down state brutality to make their points heard. In Mozambique, despite the government declaring a likely fraudulent election victory two months ago, the streets have seen sustained protests. Dozens of people have been injured, and many have died, yet the protests persist. This is another example of how young people are pushing back against the once firmly entrenched control of liberation movements in the region.

All of these developments raise key questions. When the government claims a large majority, which ‘majority’ are they referring to? Are we witnessing a new era of liberation, in which today’s youth have coalesced to overcome long-dominant power structures? And how to deal with the barriers to sustained youth engagement, including consistently low levels of voter registration?

This timely conversation will seek to unpack all of these issues and focus on how young people are leading a shift in political outcomes. Together, we will also explore what this new era may tell us about the direction of elections across Africa in 2025 and well beyond. Join us!

Meet our panel

Moderation