Africa Skills Week Highlights Continental Drive for Youth Empowerment and Innovation

Deputy Minister for Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has successfully concluded her working visit to the Africa Skills Week 2025, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she represented South Africa's Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The week-long event, hosted by the African Union (AU) from 13 to 17 October 2025, brought together policymakers, educators, and youth leaders to accelerate the continent's progress in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

A Platform for Pan-African Collaboration

The Africa Skills Week served as a continental platform for promoting skills development, innovation, and youth employment. Over 850 participants from AU member states, regional organisations, and training institutions attended the event, underscoring the shared commitment to empowering Africa's young people through education and skills-based growth.

"The five-day Africa Skills Week brought together over 850 participants from across the continent. It promoted learning, dialogue, and collaboration, and I am pleased to state that South Africa remains committed to knowledge sharing, research, and implementation — ensuring that no African youth is excluded from the skills revolution that will define the Africa we want and need," said Dr Gondwe.

South Africa's Role and Strategic Engagements

During the programme, Dr Gondwe took part in a high-level ministerial panel on skills development, where she highlighted South Africa's progress in transforming its TVET landscape and aligning it with labour market demands. She also showcased initiatives under the DHET aimed at integrating digital technology, research collaboration, and entrepreneurship into education policy.

Beyond the plenary sessions, the Deputy Minister held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference.

• She met with Ethiopia's Minister of Labour and Skills, Muferihat Kamil Ahmed, where they exchanged best practices on youth employability and vocational training. The discussion also explored using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to connect unemployed youth with job opportunities — a growing priority across Africa's developing labour markets.

• In another significant meeting, Dr Gondwe engaged with AU Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitisation, Lerato Mataboge, focusing on potential partnerships in university research collaboration, digital learning, and the expansion of the TVET sector across the continent.

Dr Gondwe was accompanied by Nonceba Losi, South Africa's Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, who supported the DHET delegation during all engagements.

Launch of the Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034

A major highlight of the Africa Skills Week was the launch of the Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034, a blueprint developed by the AU to strengthen skills training and harmonise vocational education standards across Africa. The strategy is a cornerstone of Agenda 2063, which envisions "the Africa we want" — a continent driven by innovation, inclusive growth, and self-sustaining industries.

The new TVET framework sets out a decade-long roadmap to equip African youth with practical, future-ready skills in emerging fields such as green technology, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. It also prioritises gender inclusion, ensuring that women and marginalised groups benefit equally from education and employment opportunities.

Advancing the Skills Revolution in Africa

Dr Gondwe reiterated South Africa's commitment to the skills revolution, aligning with continental goals for industrialisation, innovation, and job creation. "As a country, we remain deeply invested in collaborative efforts to strengthen Africa's human capital and ensure that young people are empowered to shape their own futures," she said.

The Deputy Minister's participation underscores South Africa's strategic role in driving continental cooperation on education and training, ensuring that Africa's youth are equipped with the skills needed to lead in a rapidly changing global economy.