In 2020, Freedom in the World reported that 22 African countries had suffered a decline in democratic governance and respect for human rights (https://freedomhouse.org). At the same time, global dissatisfaction with democracy has risen to the highest ever recorded level (Dissatisfaction with democracy ‘at record high’ bbc.com).
Against this backdrop, about a quarter of the world’s population will have the opportunity to vote in 2024. This includes Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia, the DRC and Zimbabwe, with Uganda preparing for 2025 elections.
What do our African youth think about this? Do they care and do they think voting matters?
During 2023, the Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa found that in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal more than 80% of the youth distrust the national government and more than 75% distrust political parties. Close to 60% of the sample of youth said, ‘I do believe in voting but I will not vote anyway’. The main reason given for not intending to vote was political disillusionment.
In South Africa, youth feel that their vote makes no difference; they distrust politicians who they see as corrupt; and they’ve become disillusioned because of their poor socio-economic conditions, empty promises, and the sense that politicians don’t care. It makes sense, considering that the countries where citizens report the highest satisfaction with democracy all have very low unemployment figures: Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands, which implies that high youth unemployment is a major cause of political disgruntlement.
It would be a mistake to label youth as politically disengaged or apathetic, though. They’ve simply turned to different avenues to make a difference. This is apparent in statements of some of the youth in our gold Programme:
From their perspective, convincing them to turn out would require responding to their material needs; decent work, quality services, and capable and ethical leadership. These young people may very well fill the gap where they look for leaders they can trust. And it would be wrong to call them ‘future leaders’ – they are ready and engaged, and serving their communities with integrity and hope.
Dissatisfaction with democracy ‘at record high’ (bbc.com)
SA youth not apathetic, no longer see elections as path to change (dailymaverick.co.za)
You might also like
TrustBridge stands tall as a platform that simplifies global giving whilst ensuring global due diligence standards, transcending borders to pave the way for impact. With the partnership between gold Youth Development Agency (gold-youth) and TrustBridge Global Foundation, we’re empowered to amplify our pan-African system change...
