Green Jobs & the Future of Work in Africa: A CFYE/INCLUDE Knowledge Platform Partnership
Dealing with the negative consequences of climate change and creating a large number of jobs for a growing population are two of the major challenges facing the African continent. The transition to a green economy can help tackle both simultaneously.
On the one hand, it involves making African economies more resilient to the effects of climate change. On the other, it requires investments in renewable energy and more sustainable production processes, in order to reduce the continent’s emissions. Both tracks of the green transition require not only large-scale investments and capital allocation, but also labour. Green jobs, therefore, are essential to make it work.
Since 2022, CFYE and the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform have combined expertise in a long-term research and learning partnership to strengthen the evidence base around youth employment and the future of work in Africa. Over the past three years, we have explored how innovations in different sectors in Africa’s green economy can foster decent employment opportunities for youth. Through collaborative, action-oriented and private sector-focussed research, we have identified both the enabling conditions and persistent barriers to youth engagement in the green economy.
The Evidence Synthesis
This synthesis report marks the fourth stage of the learning process. It brings together evidence and lessons from all previous phases and translates them into actionable insights for governments, funders, practitioners, and entrepreneurs. Therefore, we held consultations with a diverse set of stakeholders to identify their knowledge gaps and evidence needs.
We collected, categorised and matched their questions with the findings that were generated in the context of this research partnership (see Annex for the full list of stakeholders and knowledge questions). Their knowledge gaps, questions, and concerns have shaped the structure of this synthesis, ensuring that the insights presented here speak directly to those who can advance the creation of more and better green jobs in Africa.
The partnership enabled a targeted and practice-oriented inquiry into Africa’s green jobs landscape through an analysis of the CFYE portfolio, case studies of pioneering enterprises in agriculture, waste management, manufacturing and constructions, and an examination of how digital technology and social support structures can meaningfully engage youth in the green economy. While the sample of enterprises is necessarily selective, the combination of in-depth case research, stakeholder consultations, and portfolio-level analysis ensured that the findings capture patterns and lessons with relevance beyond individual examples.
Partnerships That Deliver: Catalysing Youth Employment in the Green Economy
Future Economies Start with Youth – the Podcast: Episode 19
In this episode, we will unpack the key insights of the three-year collaboration and explore what is needed to scale inclusive, youth-driven employment in Africa’s green and digital transitions. The episode features Joscha Betke, Knowledge Manager at INCLUDE Knowledge Platform, Samirah Bello, Global Head Strategic Partnerships ThriveAgric, and Nuria Soares, Managing Director Netherlands Africa Business Council.
Research Publications
June 2025
These case illustrations explore how agribusinesses are applying digital and green technologies to improve youth employment in African agriculture, highlighting the opportunities and barriers facing agribusinesses in adopting inclusive digital models, and outlines lessons for ecosystem actors aiming to enable meaningful, youth-led innovation across the agri-food sector.
January 2025
This brief highlights key insights, including:
- What green and digital technologies in agriculture are, and how they are currently being applied across the supply chain
- Insights from agribusinesses on their potential to create meaningful opportunities for youth, especially young women
- Key challenges that prevent these technologies from reaching their full potential
- Six actionable recommendations to foster inclusive, decent jobs for youth
November 2024
This three-pager gives an overview of the key findings, challenges, and opportunities for creating equitable and decent youth employment in green and digitally-enabled agribusinesses in Africa.
February 2024
This research unveils four promising and interconnected pathways essential for fostering green jobs for youth within Africa’s Plastic Waste Recycling Sector. Green Finance, Green Innovation, Green Awareness, and Green Sector Alignment stand as pivotal avenues identified in this study. The report provides in-depth insights into these pathways and offers corresponding recommendations tailored for policymakers and practitioners.
October 2023
This paper is about how to leverage green jobs to realise the transition to a green economy. The first step to achieving this is to create a better understanding of green jobs. To this end, following a literature analysis, we provide a mapping tool to help classify green jobs and measure their (potential) impact. The tool is based on four indicators: (i) sector; (ii) green business strategy; (iii) climate action; and (iv) green skills.