Why do young Africans want to leave the continent? – DW – 09/06/2024

“Corruption is creating a lot of uncertainty in the country,” said Someleze Sigudu, a 28-year-old South African who, like many of his peers, has grown frustrated with the rising corruption in the country and the lack of accountability from political leaders.

This is also evident from the recently published African Youth Survey of 2024 where more than 5,600 young people between the ages of 18 and 24 expressed their concerns about corruption in their countries.

The survey, commissioned by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation in Johannesburg, was conducted among young people from Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

Sigudu believes that the South African government is failing society by the way it is handling various corruption cases. The way it is doing so shows that there are no significant consequences for the accused, which fuels even more corruption.

“I feel like we’re not fighting enough because they’re not being punished and people are still eating money,” he told DW, adding that corruption creates political instability and unemployment because investors wouldn’t invest in a country where corruption is very high.

Elites are involved in corruption

South African political analyst Sandile Swana has said that the dominant elite, including top officials of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), are deeply involved in corruption.

He cited notorious scandals such as the Phala Phala robbery that took place at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm, and the corruption scandal surrounding “state capture.” State capture is a South African term that refers to how private individuals and corporations have illegally influenced institutions to do their bidding.

In addition to these scandals, South Africa has also fallen on Transparency International’s Corruption Index.

Since Corruption Watch, the local chapter of Transparency International, began tracking progress on the index 12 years ago, South Africa has never scored as low as 41 — until now. The score is down from the previous low of 42 in 2013, and down two points from the initial score of 43 in 2012.

“South Africa has increasingly become a failed state and a mafia state, led by a predatory elite, which also allows economic cannibalism among the population, with kidnapping for ransom and extortion now the norm,” Swana told DW.

According to Corruption Watch research, confidence in South Africa’s future direction has also declinedwith three-quarters believing the country is heading in the wrong direction – a sentiment that has risen 24% since 2020. Amid South Africa’s mounting crises, young people are calling for urgent action to reduce corruption, create jobs and improve basic needs and services.

Youth emigration on the rise amid economic woes

Meanwhile, the African Youth A survey found that nearly 60% of young people want to emigrate within the next five years, saying their government is not doing enough to tackle corruption.

Lucy Ntshangase, 35, who is unemployed, told DW she is considering moving to Europe because there are “no jobs” in South Africa.

“I was laid off two years ago. It’s been almost three years and I’m looking for work,” she said, adding that she rarely gets a response to her job applications. This suggests to her that “the economy is bad. There are no jobs at all.”

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Nearly a third of the population is unemployed — and if you include those who are no longer looking for work, the figure rises to 41%.

The high cost of living, ongoing power outages (so-called loadshedding) and water shortages add to the burdens South Africans face.

Despite the challenges, young people ranked South Africa as by far the most attractive destination within Africa to consider emigrating to. However, the attractiveness as a destination may also raise concerns among South African youth about the impact of illegal immigration on the labour market and government resources, as well as fears of increased crime.

US and China remain influential powers in Africa

Meanwhile, the US and China remain the most influential foreign powers, with a growing positive perception of their impact through deepening economic and social relations. However, this also comes with increased concerns about resource exploitation by foreign companies.

The relationship between Africa and China is evident in their partnerships in infrastructure, agriculture, mining, trade and energy. At the recent Africa-China summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged more than $50 billion in new financing to African countries over the next three years. He also announced that China would help create 1 million jobs on the continent.

Critics, however, accuse Beijing of saddling Africans with a crippling debt burden and supporting environmentally damaging projects.

Despite South Africa’s long-standing ties with Russia, youth research shows that Russia’s involvement in conflicts is undermining positive images.

Young people in South Africa may be experiencing the effects of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in their daily lives.

Edited by Keith Walker