SADC Youth Parliament urged to fight barriers against youth inclusion in AcFTA implementation

26 July 2023

5th SADC Youth Forum got off this week ahead of International Youth day on 4th August

Share this story

The Pan Africanist Watchman

Africa’s youth is well placed to anchor the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AcFTA), SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General, Boemo Sekgoma told the 5th SADC Youth Parliament forum this week in Gaborone.

And this “unique opportunity” for Africa to lift millions of people out of poverty is possible only if the youth is empowered to change the continent’s business environment, Sekgoma, who doubles as Patron of the SADC Youth Parliament, said.

She added that the forum was timely since it aligns with the focus of the African Union (AU) and all its Organs, which is to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The envisaged single continental market is expected to increase intra-Africa trade by 52, 3 percent and the World Bank estimates that the AcFTA will increase Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2025 and increase intra-African exports by more than 81 percent.

“We must start by deliberately including youth in policy and decisions making platforms, integrating their needs into trade policies, enhancing their participation in cross-border trade by addressing the excessively high trade costs and stiff tariff barriers in many countries that limit the potential of youth in the business sector and ultimately stifling economic growth and the continent’s development”, she said.

This AU’s mission, she said, presents an opportunity for the continent to refocus on youth empowerment initiatives. Africa’s has the world’s young population with over 400 million young people aged 15 to 35 years.

To galvanise Africa’s accelerated economic growth agenda, Sekgoma intimated that the youth must be a prime anchor of the AcFTA. “In that regard we must include the youth in all areas of the AcFTA implementation – our operating mantra as it relates to the youth must always be ‘Nothing for us, without us’”, she said!

Sekgoma was pleased that the SADC Parliamentary Forum and its partners can and should play an instrumental role in driving youth inclusion and participation in continental policies and programmes in general and in the implementation of the AcfTA in particular.

She said that the Members of the SADCPF, whom the youth have elected to represent them at national level, by virtue of their membership in national parliaments of member states must foster youth inclusion as a catalyst for economic growth and poverty reduction.

She said that the SADCPF and MPs can develop stronger frameworks for enhancing the implementation and impact of the AcFTA by identifying mechanisms to ensure that the developmental principles envisaged in the development blueprint are “youth-centred, inclusive and inculcated in their respective National Development Plans”.

“I am pleased that SADC Parliamentary Forum and its partners can and should play an instrumental role in driving youth inclusion and participation in continental policies and programmes in general and in the implementation of the AcfTA in particular”.

Last Posts

President Putin announces Easter ceasefire

President of Russia Vladimir Putin announces Easter ceasefire

Share this story

Share this storyDuring a meeting at the Kremlin with the Chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov President Vladimir Putin declared that the Russian Side is ceasing all military action starting…

26 July 2023

On April 17, 2025, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a telephone conversation

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has a phone conversation with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio

Share this story

Share this storyOn April 17, 2025, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a telephone conversation. Secretary Rubio, who is currently in Paris, informed the Russian side…

26 July 2023

In the first installment of the Two Shores Dialogue series, two journalists — Ma Jiaying from China and Héribert Adjovi from Africa — exchange insights on the pressing issues of our time: rising trade protectionism, the shifting global order, and the long-term consequences of tariff wars. Reflecting on the legacy of the Bandung Conference, they advocate for renewed solidarity among the Global South, grounded in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. A powerful, thoughtful dialogue that bridges continents and visions.

Beyond the tariff crisis, it’s time to take a fair look at globalisation… 70 years after the Bandung Conference

Share this story

Share this story‘A LOOK FROM BOTH SIDES’ is first and foremost an interesting Dialogue between two Friends, two eminent Journalists and a crossed vision of two media professionals, one Chinese and the other African (Beninese)…

26 July 2023

South-Africas-Government-of-Natiomall-Unity-on-the-brink-of-collapse-Picture-credit-Malawi-24.

THERE’S A SENSE THAT SA’S GNU IS TEETERING ON THE EDGE COLLAPSE

Share this story

Share this storyBy ABBEY MAKOE By all accounts, South Africa’s conundrum that is the Government of National Unity (GNU) will likely fester into a debilitating wound before it gets healed anytime soon. The revelation of…

26 July 2023

The world has now become irreversibly multipolar, a reality America’s ruling elites are refusing to accept.Photo | Mandar Pardika

US-China trade war: Standing up to the playground bully

Share this story

Share this storyToday’s China is not yesterday’s Soviet Union. Nor is Trump’s America the sole superpower. Anyone trying to push back the clock of history will get hurt https://www.newindianexpress.com/author/sudheendra-kulkarni The global tariff ‘war’ unleashed by…

26 July 2023

Panelists speak during the "Critical Raw Materials in the Age of Competition" session held on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, in Antalya, Turkiye on April 12, 2025.

Critical raw materials in age of competition discussed at Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Share this story

Share this storyPanel addresses geopolitical, economic, strategic importance of underground resources Sercan Irkin and Zehra Nur Celik  |13.04.2025 – Update : 13.04.2025 ANTALYA, Türkiye The “Critical Raw Materials in the Age of Competition” panel was…

26 July 2023

Related Stories