A Case About Malawi Youth

The Youth are believed to be the Future of Tomorrow although lately, many youth say they are the future of today. In other words, it means that their time is now.

For many decades, there has been a tag of war when the elderly claim that they have enough experience in many sectors ( As they say, Experience is the best teacher). So they cannot just leave jobs and resign just like that.

The elderly further say they cannot just leave it in the Young people who have not yet gained experience and yet the youth are looking for the same space to start working. That is why they are insisting that the elderly should retire in order to give room to the youth.

Different countries defer on the retirement age. For example in Malawi the retirement age is sixty years generally for public servants although for other reasons one can retire early depending on their reasons for example due to medical grounds.

According to Afrobarometer Surveys, their team in Malawi, led by The Center for Social Research at the University of Malawi interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Malawians in August, 2024.

A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at 95 percent confidence level.

Some of the findings reveal that 53 percent of Malawi Youth are unemployed and are looking for jobs.

Malawi youth unemployment rate varies by definition although recent data from 2024 Labour Force Survey shows 21.5 percent unemployment rate for youth (15-35 years old)

The other sources indicate a lower rate (around 6.7 percent for ages 15-24) for the same year, highlighting the challenge of under employment and informal with quite a huge majority in low quality jobs.

This is accompanied by weak economy and high costs of living. From 16 September, 2025 the new Government led by The President of the Republic of Malawi, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika was voted into power and this is bringing new hopes for Malawi in terms of economy and other socio economic needs.

Key Areas of Youth Development in Malawi

-Education, Training and Skills

There is a need of After school tutoring, vocational training, Career guidance and digital literacy. There should also be civic education and awareness on some of the important tips on how to encourage and motivate the youths.

Employment, Internships and Other Opportunities.

More room for the youth should be given to do on job training, entrepreneurial support through training in both public and private sector.

Solutions to Youths Unemployment

The Youth of Malawi should now start thinking from another angle. This is not a time to be always thinking of being employed, but it is time to start creating jobs.

It is now time to go to school with a huge mindset of demonstrating entrepreneurial skills on the ground regardless of the program done in class. Even if a person had done agriculture program, he has to start thinky of making money as a farmer.

Often a lot of people wonder why is it that a country full of graduands still lacks food on the table for it’s people despite that a lot of young people who are energetic and stable went to school to study on Agriculture and other project management programs. It is because they are not given the chance to demonstrate the capabilities.

There should be a campaign to encourage self employment and self development

For many years, people were taught that they should go to school inorder to be employed. Nowadays, many universities, colleges and other places of high learning are encouraging their students to think outside the box because the demand for graduand workers is very low and the supply is very high .

A big reminder to the Graduates especially those who are not yet on internship, or not yet fully employed is that their time is now.

What businesses are likely to be created.

1 Motor Vehicle Mechanics Businesses.

A graduand who was at Malawi University of Business and Sciences (MUBAS) for example, doing Mechanical engineering is likely to open a motor vehicle fixing company.

Of course it may start by being employed even at a local garage which may not even be paying well inorder to be familiar with how it works on the ground.

2-Civil Engineering and Building Construction Companies.

Most of the construction jobs in Malawi are not just done by people who had done construction programs but the ones who did those programs are usually work as employees.

Do not care the main goal is to just understand how it works on the ground and then start your own company. This situation varies according to different factors such as family background, your network and other factors.

Agriculture Jobs and Other related jobs

Many young people fear to start things thinking that there will be a special time to do so. This has been the situation for so many years. They have been saying we will start in the future. In the future is like a song to many youths until they discover it’s too late

When asked youths dwell much on reasons that will make them fail instead of concentrating on the positive side they can afford. As a starter, if you really work on your abilities and start what you have, things do work.

If there is Capital to start one can go straight to business despite being New in the career..

How to Raise Money For Capital in Business.

OPM (Other Peoples Money)

A student who completed his school can ask from well wishers who are friends and family and get supported financially.

Capacity Building

They say, in unity there is power. If two or more Youth come together with a good plan and an idea, it is possible to work out on something.. The challenge is that many Malawians are not used to working together as one. This is often associated with being dishonest, lack of partnership business skills and knowledge.

Government Loans (National Economic Empowerment Fund-NEEF)

There are many Money lending institutions but I am interested in the government institution that has a package to lend and support the youth in their programs.

There is some sort of flexibility in the condition of borrowing some money.