A Rockefeller Foundation Study found that the digital economy in Africa faces serious challenges.
In the six countries which participated in this recent survey (Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa) over 2 million high potential young people enter the job market each year to find only 41,000 inclusive digital jobs.
To create high-value jobs that are desperately needed in Africa, it is not enough to increase and improve training opportunities. We must grow industries – quickly and at scale – that can absorb the well-trained youth.
At the Africa Digital Media Foundation, we believe that the creative industries hold the key to unlocking the solution to this dilemma. Not only are these industries capable of disruption through technology, but they also hold particular appeal for the youth, while offering access to opportunities in the larger global economy.
It’s clear from the Rockefeller Foundation Study that the creative sector, if well structured, can generate significant transformative social and economic impact on our society.