Africa’s Gen Alpha is Rising – are you ready?

By Jenny Groot, CEO PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools) for Paraffin’s 13th Birthday

The Africa Rising Opportunity

By 2035, more than half of the young people entering the global workforce will be African. The African economy grew by 50% between 2005 and 2015, compared to the world average of 23%. Despite subsequent economic slowdown sub-Saharan Africa’s economy remains resilient, with growth projected to reach 3.8 percent in 2025, up from 3.5 percent in 2024. According to McKinsey, Africa has potential to unlock more than $3 trillion in consumer spending.

The Education Challenge

However 69 million young people across Sub-Saharan Africa still miss out on secondary education each year. Connectivity remains scarce, and girls face the steepest barriers.

In PEAS schools, only one in four students has access to a smartphone at home, and most parents are small-scale farmers who never had the chance to gain digital literacy themselves.

What PEAS Does

PEAS is tackling these inequalities by expanding access to low-cost, high-quality secondary schools and improving education systems in partnership with governments. Their approach blends:

• Foundational skills – literacy and numeracy that open every other door
• Digital skills– computer labs, ICT training, and teachers who bring the online world safely into the classroom

Life skills – confidence, teamwork, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy

PEAS schools also welcome girls back after pregnancy and train teachers to make classrooms safe and inclusive — ensuring that education truly changes lives.

A Story of Change

Jenny shared Maureen’s story, a 15-year-old from Zambia who became pregnant and assumed her education was over. Her local PEAS school welcomed her back, supported her through motherhood, and helped her rediscover her confidence.
Today, Maureen is thriving — she loves biology and dreams of becoming a pharmacist. Because she stayed in school, two futures changed at once: hers and her child’s.

A Call to Action

Africa’s youth are not a challenge to solve – they are a generation to invest in.
If equipped with skills and confidence, they will become the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders shaping future global progress. If neglected, the cost in lost potential will be immense.

PEAS message to brands and partners:
Consider Africa in your growth plans — not just as a market, but as a source of talent and creativity

• Partner with PEAS on tangible projects — from digital labs to girls’ leadership programmes
• Support financially — every contribution goes further than you might imagine.

Gen Alpha is not just arriving; they’re already here.
Let’s make sure the world they inherit is ready for them – and that they are ready for it.