As part of the HSRC’s The Imprint of Education (TIE) study, young researchers have developed the African Youth Livelihoods Virtual Museum. This digital platform features podcasts, webinars, art, and virtual reality experiences, amplifying marginalised voices and serving as a dissemination and advocacy tool. Through immersive storytelling and research, it highlights the complex challenges young Africans encounter in the attempt to secure sustainable livelihoods. The virtual museum offers an evolving resource for understanding and addressing youth livelihood challenges, aiming to bridge the gap between research and real-world impact while working towards sparking cross-sector dialogue and collaboration .By Zimingonaphakade Sigenu
Africa has the youngest population in the world, with a median age of just under 20 years. This ‘youth bulge’ represents an immense opportunity, as young Africans brimming with energy and aspirations have the potential to drive the continent’s development. However, a significant socioeconomic challenge looms in that sub-Saharan Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world. In 2021, the formal wage sector accounted for less than 20% of youth employment in Africa, and in some countries, the informal sector accounts for over 80% of employment. Economic opportunities remain limited, with issues like poor access to quality education, skills mismatch, and conflict situations creating formidable barriers to securing viable livelihoods.
The Imprint of Education study
Recognising the urgent need to understand and address these structural challenges, the HSRC initiated the Young Africa Research Fellows Programme as part of The Imprint of Education (TIE) study, funded by the Mastercard Foundation. This interdisciplinary initiative brought together eight research fellows from six African countries to investigate structural barriers to youth livelihoods.
A key output of the fellowship was the African Youth Livelihoods Virtual Museum. This innovative digital platform offers an immersive multimedia experience that explores academic material, visual art and storytelling, helping to understand the lived realities and aspirations of young Africans navigating precarious work landscapes. Through a 360-degree photograph taken by one of the featured young artists, the virtual museum is visually situated in Computer Village, a vibrant ICT hub in Lagos, Nigeria. The virtual museum’s design reflects the ambience of bustling urban African markets, blended into technological innovation.
The museum features several compelling components aimed at elevating youth voices and driving and highlighting youth experiences:
- Hustling the African Dream podcast: Through raw, candid interviews, this series provides a platform for youth from diverse backgrounds to share their stories of struggle, resilience, and the daily hustle of pursuing livelihoods against daunting odds. See our articles in the September HSRC Review on the struggles of motorcycle taxi drivers in Malawi, and young people transforming Kenya’s waste crisis into business opportunities.
- Webinar series: Covering critical themes such as economic histories, urbanisation, gender dynamics, conflict and political instability, and youth entrepreneurship, these expert-led sessions deliver nuanced perspectives on the multidimensional factors shaping youth livelihoods.
- Virtual art gallery: The vibrant creativity of seven young African artists is showcased through visual depictions, capturing the essence of the continent’s dynamic informal work environments.
- Virtual reality (VR) experience: Leveraging cutting-edge Frame VR technology, this immersive simulation allows users to explore virtual African settings, fostering deeper empathy and connection with the on-the-ground realities youth face.
The virtual museum presents complex socioeconomic issues using VR alongside multimedia outputs, such as podcasts and visual art, disseminating dense research findings and personal narratives in an accessible manner to improve research uptake and make knowledge more accessible and user-friendly.
Future vision
Looking ahead, we envision the African Youth Livelihoods Virtual Museum as a catalyst for meaningful change. We aim to amplify the voices of marginalised African youth, providing a platform where their stories, struggles, and aspirations can reach a global audience through immersive multimedia formats. We hope to challenge stereotypes and foster empathy for young Africans in complex circumstances by presenting youth perspectives as authentically as possible. The museum aspires to become a vital resource for informing strategies on youth livelihood challenges by engaging diverse stakeholders, from policymakers to the general public. Ultimately, we see this digital space as a nexus for cross-sector dialogue and collaboration, bringing together governments, civil society, the private sector, and development agencies. The main goal of facilitating these connections and inspiring further research is to deepen the understanding of systemic barriers and uncover evidence-based solutions for Africa’s youth employment challenges.
Next steps
The digital infrastructure of the museum is now in place, with the potential for further development. Its true potential lies in the ongoing curation of content. It is an evolving, living platform that will continue growing and adapting. As such, the museum can serve as a real-time mirror of the rapidly changing landscape of youth livelihoods across Africa. As the museum grows and incorporates more content, voices and experiences, it aims to serve as a resource for researchers, policymakers, and others interested in understanding the realities of African youth in the 21st century.
Expertise in interdisciplinary research and the ability to bring together diverse perspectives were key to conceptualising and leading the development of the virtual museum. Through TIE, the HSRC has created a unique platform that aspires to elevate youth voices and translate dense research findings into accessible, impactful narratives. Combining rigorous academic work with innovative dissemination methods will be important in bridging the gap between research and real-world impact. The African Youth Livelihoods Virtual Museum exemplifies the HSRC’s commitment to creatively disseminating research while addressing critical societal challenges.
Research contact: Zimingonaphakade Sigenu, a researcher in the HSRC’s Equitable Education and Economies division
If you enjoyed reading this article, please click here to subscribe to the HSRC Review quarterly magazine.
