The revolution has begun, now it is
time to sustain it, writes Busi Radebe
In the heart of Lusaka, Zambia, as the dust settles on the Industrial Skills Week for Africa (ISWA 2025), held on 9 and 10 September 2025 at the Mulungushi International Convention Centre, a palpable sense of urgency and optimism lingers.
This gathering, themed ‘Powering Africa’s Industrial Future by Advancing Skills Ecosystems’, was not merely another conference in the crowded calendar of continental dialogues. It represented a bold, collective acknowledgment that Africa’s path to sustainable industrialisation hinges on its people.
With over 500 delegates in attendance which included heads of state, ministers, private sector titans, academics, and young innovators, they all converged to dissect and rebuild the continent’s skills landscape. As an observer of Africa’s economic trajectories, this conference signalled a shift from rhetoric to actionable strategy, particularly in harnessing the demographic dividend of a youth population projected to double by 2050. The true measure of success will not be declarations but tangible transformations that follow.
Africa stands at a crossroads. The continent boasts the world’s youngest and fastest growing population, with more than 60% under the age of 25. This youth bulge could propel unprecedented economic growth, adding billions to GDP through innovation and productivity. However, without targeted skills development, it risks becoming a liability fuelling unemployment, social unrest, and missed opportunities in a global economy increasingly driven by technology and sustainability.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa, places human capital at its core. ISWA 2025 built directly on this vision, emphasises that industrialisation cannot thrive in isolation from education and training systems. As AUDA-NEPAD CEO H.E. Mrs Nardos Bekele-Thomas articulated during the event, institutional readiness is paramount for transforming Africa’s industrial potential under this agenda. Her emphasis on aligning skills with continental priorities resonated deeply, reminding us that Africa’s future prosperity demands a coordinated, pan-African approach.
The conference’s opening day set an electrifying tone, focusing on innovation and sector specific insights. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia delivered a keynote address that underscored the continent’s responsibility to leverage its youthful vigour for lasting prosperity. His words were a clarion call that Africa must not squander its demographic advantage but instead channel it into building resilient economies.
Breakout sessions delved into technical and vocational education and training (TVET), mining, renewable energy, and creative industries. These are sectors that are ripe for disruption. For instance, discussions on fashion, arts, and heritage as drivers of industrial growth featured Zambian designer Kabaso Nkandu and Sierra Leone’s Maryann Kaikai, illustrating how cultural assets can be monetised through skills enhancement. Mining giants like Mopani Copper Mine shared how sector specific training unlocks value chains, while global experts from FESTO, UNESCO, the OECD, and the African Union presented best practices. Companies such as Bosch Rexroth, Volvo, and Hitachi highlighted industry-led partnerships, demonstrating that collaboration between education providers and employers is essential for bridging the skills gap.
It is evident that these sessions were more than academic exercises as they exposed the stark realities of Africa’s industrial lag. Take mining, a cornerstone of many African economies. However, despite abundant resources, the continent captures only a fraction of the value due to inadequate skilled labour. Renewable energy, another focal point, offers immense potential amid the global green transition, but without workers being proficient in solar installation, wind turbine maintenance, or energy efficient manufacturing, Africa risks remaining a raw material exporter rather than an innovation hub.
The creative industries panel was particularly enlightening, challenging the notion that industrialisation is solely about heavy machinery. By integrating arts and heritage into economic strategies, Africa can foster inclusive growth, empowering women and youth who often dominate these fields. This holistic approach aligns with global trends, where economies like South Korea and India have leveraged creative sectors for GDP boosts exceeding 10%.
Day two shifted gears toward high-level leadership dialogues, culminating in commitments that could redefine Africa’s skills ecosystem. AUDA-NEPAD presented on human capital preparedness, while a ministerial roundtable, chaired by Professor JJ Tabane, scrutinised transformative policies across African Union member states. Ministers from South Africa, Malawi, and Sierra Leone, Hon. Buti Manamela (Higher Education), H.E. Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima (Education), Hon. Ibrahim Sannoh (Youth), and Hon. Isata Mahoi (Gender and Children’s Affairs), all brought diverse perspectives, advocating for policies that prioritise gender equality and youth empowerment. Partnerships with UNIDO, ILO, and COMESA explored scaling vocational training, establishing Centres of Excellence in IT and renewable energy, and facilitating cross-border skills mobility. Youth representatives debated unlocking the demographic dividend through entrepreneurship, emphasising that skills must extend beyond technical proficiency to include innovation and adaptability.
From the insights gathered, ISWA 2025 identified critical shifts needed in Africa’s skills paradigm. First, a move from traditional qualifications to competency-based training, ensuring graduates are job ready. Second, demand-led systems were industry dictates curricula, as seen in Zambia’s reforms. Third, enhanced data intelligence for forecasting labour needs. These align with proposed commitments which are Country Industrial Skills Compacts for TVET overhauls, an Africa Skills Intelligence Partnership for data driven decisions, an Industrial Apprenticeship Coalition for public/private synergies, and a Skills for Sustainability Accelerator focusing on green sectors. Such frameworks are vital and without them, Africa’s industrialisation risks stalling. Consider the continent’s poverty gap at 48.5%, despite past growth spurts, skills mismatches exacerbate this, leaving millions of people across Africa underemployed.
Zambia’s role as host exemplified national commitment. As a nation rich in copper but grappling with youth unemployment rates hovering around 20%, Zambia is positioning itself as a regional skills hub through reforms in TVET, digital innovation, and green skills. Hon. Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, delivered the closing remarks, encapsulating the event’s ethos with a vote of thanks that reinforced partnerships as the linchpin of progress. Drawing from his statements during the conference, Mutati stressed that industrialisation cannot flourish without a skilled workforce, highlighting Zambia’s 8th National Development Plan, which integrates skills into manufacturing competitiveness. He outlined deliberate actions which were modernising curricula to embed green skills, strengthening public-private partnerships (PPPs) to align training with market demands, promoting inclusivity for women and youth, and establishing innovation hubs to spark entrepreneurship. Mutati’s vision, guided by Zambia’s Comprehensive TVET (CTVET) strategy and Agenda 2063, positions skills not as abstract concepts but as pathways to decent jobs and socio-economic transformation.
Mutati’s closing emphasised a recurring theme: collaboration. He reiterated that “partnerships are essential government sets policy, industry creates jobs, and educators build capacity”, echoing broader calls for blended financing and SME support. His hope that ISWA sets the tone for future engagement that centres African skills as the backbone of African industry resonates profoundly. In an era where AI and digital technologies disrupt labour markets, Africa must prepare its workforce for these changes. Mutati’s remarks also touched on inclusivity, urging barriers to access be dismantled to ensure the demographic dividend benefits all. This is crucial because women, who comprise half of Africa’s population, often face systemic exclusion from STEM fields thus limiting their industrial contributions.
Reflecting on ISWA 2025, I am struck by its potential as a catalyst for change. The joint statement emerging from the event reaffirms commitments to expanding investments in skills ecosystems, strengthening TVET and Centres of Excellence, promoting cross-border mobility, and supporting creative industries. These are not vague aspirations but concrete steps toward global competitiveness. For example, enhancing skills mobility could integrate Africa’s fragmented labour markets, allowing skilled workers from Sierra Leone to contribute to Zambia’s mining sector or Malawi’s renewable energy projects. Similarly, Centres of Excellence in IT could position Africa as a player in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, attracting foreign investment and reducing brain drain.
Yet, optimism must be tempered with realism. Challenges abound such as funding shortages plague TVET systems, with many African countries allocating less than 5% of GDP to education. Political instability in regions like the Sahel disrupts training programs, while gender disparities persist, with girls’ enrolment in technical fields lagging by 30-40% in some nations. Moreover, the global economic slowdown that is exacerbated by climate change and geopolitical tensions could hinder implementation. ISWA’s success depends on follow through and governments must prioritise accountability, perhaps through mechanisms like the annual progress reports tied to AU summits.
In my opinion, ISWA 2025 transcends a single event by fostering a mindset shift. It challenges the narrative of Africa as a perpetual aid recipient, instead portraying it as an innovator capable of self-sustained growth. By putting youth at the centre, the conference aligned with global sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 8 (decent work). Imagine an Africa where young entrepreneurs in Lusaka’s innovation hubs develop AI-driven mining tools, or Sierra Leonean designers export heritage inspired fashion to global markets. This vision is attainable if skills ecosystems are advanced as promised.
Mutati’s closing remarks serve as a fitting coda, urging stakeholders to “turn vision into action”. His call for stronger PPPs and inclusive policies underscores that industrialisation must be people centred. As Africa navigates the complexities of a post-pandemic world, events like ISWA remind us that prosperity lies in equipping citizens with technical, entrepreneurial, and creative skills. The continent’s youth are not a problem to be managed but a solution to be unleashed.
Looking ahead, ISWA 2025 should evolve into a beacon, tracking progress and adapting to emerging trends like AI ethics and climate resilience. Development partners, UNIDO, ILO, EU, must sustain momentum through funding and expertise. For Africa to compete globally, skills must be the foundation of every industrial strategy. If implemented, the commitments from Lusaka could propel the continent toward Agenda 2063. The revolution has begun, now it is time to sustain it.
Busi Radebe