Africa’s young people are taking the lead in a new conversation about the continent’s future, as leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and emerging change makers gather in Kigali for the inaugural Africa Mindset Reset Forum.
The two-day forum, hosted by the African School of Governance (ASG) at the Kigali Convention Centre on August 25–26, is bringing together prominent African figures to explore how the continent can strengthen its leadership, institutions and culture of execution to accelerate development.
About 2,500 delegates are attending the gathering, with participants drawn from politics, business, academia, civil society and the private sector.
The forum is being held under the theme “From Pan-Africanism to Meta-Africanism,” a concept that seeks to build on the legacy of Pan-Africanism by placing greater emphasis on collective action, strong institutions and Africa’s ability to shape its own development path.
At the heart of this conversation is a generation that is expected to play an increasingly important role in Africa’s economic and social transformation: young Africans.
For decades, young Africans have frequently been described as the leaders of tomorrow. But at the Africa Mindset Reset Forum, the message is increasingly shifting towards recognizing young people as active contributors to Africa’s development today.
Former Ethiopian Prime Minister and ASG co-founder Hailemariam Desalegn captured the idea during preparations for the forum.
“We often tell young people they are the future. That is not quite true. They are the present.” He added that the entrepreneurs, researchers and public servants who will shape Africa’s direction are already working today.
“Our task is not to plan Africa’s future on their behalf, but to build it with them, and then to trust them with it.”
The message reflects one of the forum’s defining ideas; Africa’s transformation will require an intergenerational effort in which young people are not simply beneficiaries of development, but active participants in shaping it.
Around 70 per cent of Africa’s population is under the age of 30, according to ASG. This young population represents a significant source of talent, creativity and entrepreneurial energy for the continent.
The forum’s registration themes include human capital development and dignified work opportunities for Africa’s young people, reflecting the importance attached to youth in the continent’s next development chapter. The forum is also encouraging a shift in how Africa views its own possibilities.
ASG President Francis Gatare called for Africans to move beyond a mindset of low expectations and embrace greater confidence in the continent’s ability to achieve its ambitions.
“Meta-Africanism is the necessary evolution of Pan-Africanism,” Gatare said at the opening of the forum.
He explained that while Pan-Africanism provided solidarity, liberation and dignity, the next phase should ask what mindsets, values, institutions and behaviors are needed to create the future Africa wants.
Whether through entrepreneurship, technology, research, creative industries, public service or community initiatives, young Africans are already contributing to the continent’s transformation. The forum seeks to connect such individuals and initiatives while encouraging stronger collaboration across African countries.
The Africa Mindset Reset Forum comes at a time when Africa is experiencing rapid demographic, technological and economic change. Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies; African businesses are expanding into new markets. Young entrepreneurs are developing solutions to local challenges, while the continent’s growing population is creating new opportunities for innovation and investment.
The forum’s message is therefore not simply about changing how Africa thinks about its challenges. It is about changing how Africans see their possibilities. For Africa’s young generation, that could mean a new understanding of their role, not as people waiting for the future to arrive, but as citizens already helping to shape it.
