Welcome back to the Young World Podcast! In the third episode of our new season, host Emma Green sits down with Lael Bethlehem and Vuyo Guma to discuss the art of smart and resilient policymaking in an increasingly volatile world. As geopolitical shifts, climate uncertainty, and rapid technological change disrupt the status quo, governments in the Young World must find ways to move beyond traditional, slow-moving bureaucracies to achieve impact.

The episode explores real-world examples of reform, specifically looking at the success of South Africa’s Operation Vulindlela, a flagship delivery unit designed to unlock growth and cross-government collaboration. We explore the complexities of the South African visa system, uncovering how even well-intended laws can be undermined by implementation hurdles. From Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIA) to establishing high-bandwidth organisations, our guests explain why getting policy right requires a blend of technical rigour and adaptability.

"Policy is an instrument of change... the question is, can policy be used in a real-world manner that actually shifts the needle?"

Welcome back to the Young World Podcast! In this episode, host Monica Fluke is joined by Tochukwu Egesi (Head of Payments & Digital Financial Services at Genesis Analytics) and William Uko (Head of Strategy and Research at NIBSS) to discuss the future of Africa as a real-time economy.

For too long, moving money across Africa has been slow, expensive, and heavily reliant on cash, a system that often leaves the most vulnerable behind. But a quiet revolution is happening.

Our guests unpack the rise of Instant Payment Systems (IPS) and explain how this technology is moving beyond simple convenience to build a "real-time economy." From gig workers receiving instant wages to smallholder farmers securing immediate payment for their harvests, we explore how real-time data and funds are becoming the new engine for continental development.

Welcome back to the Young World Podcast. In the first episode of our new season, host Benedikt Freude sits down with Stephan Malherbe, the CEO and founder of Genesis Analytics, to discuss the lessons learnt and new perspectives a year after the massive cuts to traditional aid.

While the recent reductions in global development funding have presented significant challenges, they have also accelerated a transition toward more sustainable, locally-led models. In this candid conversation, Benedikt and Stephan explore why the historical "outside-in" approach of international assistance is evolving and why moving toward an "inside-out" reality, driven by domestic leadership, is essential for the future of the sector.

For many international investors, macroeconomic uncertainty and the nascency of the startup ecosystem are major barriers to investing in African startups. But at the same time, Africa is home to the majority of the world's working population, is rapidly urbanising and moving online at an unprecedented rate. With this growing young workforce and no shortage of real issues to solve, do these tailwinds outweigh the perceived risks for investing in African startups? 

Our guest Klyne Maharaj contends that the momentum of Africa’s dynamic, young population, coupled with the necessity to solve tangible problems, has sparked a Startup Golden Age on the continent. In his view, the companies solving the biggest issues end up being the most valuable. African founders are solving for real-life pertinent problems that, when solved, will transform the life for ordinary Africans. 

This episode explores how early-stage venture capital and accelerator financing is driving local-led solutions in Africa, exploring the landscape of venture capital financing on the continent, what it takes to support these companies to scale and the driving factors behind building an impactful startup.

Guest: Klyne Maharaj is the Director of the Accelerator Programme at the Baobab Network, an early stage Venture Capital and Accelerator funder in Africa.

Host and Exec Producer:  Samantha Jelley

Post Production: Enosh Ocansey

Have any questions or comments on today’s episode? We’d love to hear from you! 

Email: [email protected]

In our second episode, we dive deep into a topic that has been gaining momentum across Africa. The call is loud and clear: young Africans are demanding a seat at the decision-making table, pushing for their voices to be heard on the policies and laws that directly affect their lives.

With the median age in Africa around 19, but the average age of leaders at 63, there is a growing demand from the youth for a seat at the decision-making table. But does effective leadership depend on age? Are the youth of Africa ready to take the reins of leadership? What does a more collaborative, inclusive leadership approach look like?

Joining us to explore these questions is Isatou Bokum. Isatou founded Girl Talk Organization at 21 and has since become a leading advocate for the rights and representation of girls and young women in The Gambia.

Hello and welcome to the very first episode of the Young World Podcast! 

In our debut episode, we take a deep dive into the backbone of the AI industry, the essential workforce that ensures that AI products are accurate, effective and safe. 

This often hidden workforce performs the behind-the-scenes work of preparing datasets used to train algorithms, and many of which are based across countries in the Young World.

The data services industry, crucial for AI development, has been criticised for exploitative practices, often labelled as digital slavery. It's an industry where millions are underpaid and work in precarious conditions, performing repetitive tasks that fuel AI systems. In this episode we dig into the key question of how can governments and businesses create and ensure fair, meaningful employment opportunities in the AI sector across the Young World? 

Joining us to dig into this question is Dr Jonas Valente and Dr Funda Ustek Spilda both working on FairWork, a research project which is working to shine a light on working conditions in the digital age. 

4.06:  What do we mean by data work, what are the key activities and why is it important? 

5.54: Why have data workers been made to be ‘invisible’?

7.25: What are the geography and demographics of the industry?

12.06: Is the industry a new form of digital slavery?

20.37: What is Fairwork doing to protect workers' rights in the AI industry?

24.47:  Do workers' rights issues present themselves differently on the platform vs BPO side of the industry? 

29.07: What impact has Fairwork had to date? 

31.25: Whose responsibility is it to ensure workers are treated fairly across the AI supply chain? 

To learn more about the essential work that Fairwork are doing visit their website: https://fair.work/en/fw/homepage/ 

Resources Mentioned: 

Have a topic you’d like us to cover on the podcast? We’d love to hear from you! 

Email: [email protected] 

Host and Exec Producer: Clemmie Borthwick

Post Production: Enosh Ocansey

Research Team: Luthando Sibiya, Bonga Khoza