The inability to find a means of income to generate a satisfying livelihood remains a global problem. Given the unique and tumultuous past of Africa, however, the problem is more entrenched than in many other emerging and developing markets. The situation has been exacerbated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which could push millions of people into extreme poverty, erasing at least five years of progress in fighting destitution. Unemployment and underemployment remain pervasive on the continent, and demographic trends suggest that the situation will deteriorate further if it is not effectively addressed. The nature of the unemployment problem, however, is such that implementing the correct policies and pursuing effective initiatives will go a long way towards setting the continent on a favourable trajectory. The present report contains the results of an examination of 34 employment initiatives in 15 African countries, highlighting the areas that the most successful initiatives have in common. Given the idiosyncratic nature of each country’s economic structure, labour force and state of socioeconomic development means, there is little evidence to suggest that the success of a specific initiative can be replicated in another country without taking into account those differences. However, by ascertaining which broader approaches have proven successful in these countries and identifying which focus areas have shown the most promising results, it is possible to gain insight into what constitutes best practice from an employment-creation perspective. Signalling commitment towards international best practice, not just from a policy perspective but from a legal standpoint as well, is another channel through which countries can learn from experiences elsewhere. From an international labour standards perspective, the International Labour Organization identifies cases of progress whenever countries that have ratified its conventions make progress in complying, both in law and in practice, with the broad principle of those conventions. A number of African nations have already ratified the Employment Policy Convention (No. 122) of the International Labour Organization. As an initial step, identifying the most common phrases emphasized in the employment-creation initiatives examined in the study has already provided some insight into important success drivers. These phrases, depicted in a word cloud below, include partnership, skills development, youth employment, investment promotion and access to credit.
