Africa has the youngest population in the world, with more than 400 million people aged 15 to 35.
Malawi is no exception, with at least three-quarters of its population in the same age group.
Policymakers and activists say this calls for increased investment in economic and social development to wean the youth from dependency and improve their countries’ economic prospects.
However, the youth feel shortchanged despite national pledges to invest more in quality early childhood development, lifelong learning, skill development and business boosts.
Malawi is part of the high-level pledge to reap the dividends of greater investment in harnessing the potential of its ballooning youthful bubble.
Mphamvu Kalima, 35, believes that shaping the youth into leaders of tomorrow was supposed to begin yesterday.
She believes the youth will continue to lag if policymakers of today cannot invest beyond talks where the dominant groups occupy the backseats when issues that affect them come under discussion.
Kalima is aspiring to contest for the councillorship for Nyamazere Ward in Nsanje District at the southern tip of the Shire Valley.
She is full of energy, vigour and ideas to defy the odds that relegate the youth to “leaders of tomorrow” mantra with little or no say on current affairs.
The youthful aspirants believe that given adequate opportunity and support, the youth can bring fresh ideas to the way the nation is governed today.
“As young people, particularly women, we lack financial independence to compete with seasoned contenders who give handouts to lure voters. This reduces the representation of women and the youth in elected positions“ she laments.
Kalima visualises herself representing her fellow young Malawians if elected councillor in the September 16 2025 General Elections.
“The youth have the energy, innovation and fresh ideas. The nation cannot prosper if it keeps ignoring the voice of the youthful majority,” she says.
Kalima reckons the local government seat gives her the right platform to speak for the youth.
“I have always wanted to voice out my opinion and aspirations of fellow young people to a bigger audience, including decision-makers,” she says.
Kalima backs banning handouts to create a friendly field for youthful candidates in next year’s polls.
“There are better ways of winning voters than bribing voters with money and goods,” she says.
The Political Parties Act outlaws election-related gifts, however, the politics of handouts persists.
“Unless it is kept in check, better candidates with little or no wealth will continue losing to questionable characters with money. We need issue-based politics where people elect their leaders based on their manifestos,” she says.
An Afrobarometer opinion poll shows that 60 percent of the youth in Malawi do not participate in elections.
Professor Boniface Dulani, from the pollster, says most young Malawians are less courageous than their older counterparts to take challenging tasks in leadership and voting.
“As a nation, we need to create space for youth participation in elections so that their opinions are heard on matters that affect them,” he implores.
Dulani was speaking in Blantyre early this month during a youth meeting on leadership and development.
National Youth Council of Malawi executive director Rex Chapota asked the youth to defy the odds and actively participate in politics.
He says: “It is a pity that the youth comprise the majority of this nation, but are not fully supported to be in prime positions in the democratic spheres.
“It is high time the youth were empowered with relevant funding and other support to vie for elected positions.”
Chapota reckons that introducing special funding for supporting the youth in the forthcoming elections would help increase their representation in governance structures.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has reduced nomination fees for youthful aspirers ahead of the 2025 poll.
“MEC will engage the youth nationwide to get raw knowledge on how best we can assist the youth to participate in electoral processes,” says MEC deputy chief elections officer Harris Potani.
He advised the youth to refrain from being used as tools for perpetrating violence, ahead of the forthcoming elections.
According to the 2018 census, the youth comprise 80 percent of Malawi’s population.
The Malawi 2063 long-term agenda touts youth empowerment and inclusion as central to the nation’s rise from the league of Least Developed Countries to a middle-income economy.
