Africa Rising: Igniting the Power of a Generation
Africa doesn’t need charity; it needs changemakers.
-Cedric Nwafor, Roots Africa
Africa is undergoing a seismic demographic and economic transformation. By 2050, one in four people on Earth—and over a third of all young people (ages 15–24)—will be African. Nigeria alone is projected to surpass the United States as the world’s third most populous country.
This unprecedented population growth positions sub-Saharan Africa to account for 90% of global working-age population growth, outpacing even India and China, as population numbers decline across many parts of the world. With this shift, Africa’s economic and political influence is expanding rapidly. A key milestone was the African Union's 2023 entry into the G20, granting the continent a stronger voice on the global stage.
The Opportunity: Youth and Job Creation
The core opportunity for Africa lies in creating jobs for the millions of young people entering the labor market every year. With between 8 to 11 million African youth expected to seek employment annually, job creation is not just a goal—it’s an imperative.
Investing in human capital is the key. Education and skill development, especially in high-growth sectors like tech, green energy, and infrastructure, will be crucial to harnessing the region’s demographic dividend. Encouragingly, educational attainment is rising: in 2020, 44% of young Africans completed high school, up from just 27% in 2000.
The Role of Trade and Private Sector Partnerships
Africa's economic potential is also being unlocked through regional trade agreements. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is poised to become a game-changer for intra-African commerce and global trade.
Through partnerships like the Forum Friends of the African Continental Free Trade Area (in collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat), global businesses are stepping up. In 2023, 40 private sector partners launched a strategic report on how international firms can support the implementation of AfCFTA. At Davos 2024, the group unveiled the first-ever private sector action plan, outlining clear investments and commitments under the trade pact.
Why It Matters to The Butterfly Effect Fund
Africa Rising is one of the three core pillars of The Butterfly Effect Fund because we believe that investing in African founders, youth, and innovation is critical to solving some of the world’s greatest challenges.
For the global economy to grow faster, African governments—in close collaboration with the private sector and catalytic capital—must act swiftly to tap into the continent’s youth and dynamism.
By supporting visionary African founders and scalable ventures, we are helping unlock a future of resilience, prosperity, and possibility—not only for Africa, but for the world.
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