• The World Bank is launching a $972 million program to train 18 million young people in East and Southern Africa.
• Nearly 8 million youth enter the labor market each year, but fewer than 1 million secure salaried jobs.
• The initiative aims to align training with fast-growing industries and drive large-scale job creation by 2034.

The World Bank has unveiled a new regional training initiative targeting 18 million young people in East and Southern Africa, backed by $972 million in financing from the International Development Association (IDA), its arm for low-income countries. The announcement was made in a statement released February 26.

The program, known as SET4Jobs — Skills for Economic Transformation and Employment in East and Southern Africa — is designed to strengthen education and equip young people with practical skills that match labor market needs. The goal is to help them secure quality jobs, thrive in a modern economy, and contribute to long-term regional growth.

“Working closely with the private sector, we will help align training with growing industries such as agribusiness, energy, healthcare, tourism and manufacturing,” said Ndiamé Diop, the World Bank’s vice president for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Through 2034, SET4Jobs will support participating countries in phases, with the aim of accelerating large-scale job creation. Investment projects will be rolled out in the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, and Zambia.

At the regional level, the Inter-University Council for East Africa will coordinate the initiative, working with governments to strengthen skills development, higher education, research, and business incubation systems linked to employment.

A Labor Market Under Strain

East and Southern Africa account for nearly 60% of the continent’s population, according to the World Bank. Despite abundant human and natural resources, access to decent work remains limited.

The institution sound the alarm on worsening poverty, inequality, and social tensions if this trend continue.

Nearly 8 million young people enter the labor market each year across the region, yet fewer than 1 million obtain formal salaried employment. At the same time, about 6.5 million youth — including 3.6 million girls — are neither in school nor employed, whether in the formal or informal sector.

Creating large numbers of quality jobs has become an urgent priority. The World Bank argues that meeting this challenge will require investment not only in physical infrastructure but also in human capital. Developing relevant skills is seen as essential to boosting productivity, employment, and incomes. The institution also calls for reforms to improve the business climate and attract greater private investment.

SET4Jobs will also establish a regional knowledge-sharing platform to help participating countries exchange best practices and lessons learned.

Lydie Mobio