Graduated, now what? survey of young Africans shows degrees don’t always land them a job

Abstract

Study hard, get your degree, and then step confidently into a stable, well-paid job. That’s long been the assumption about how to secure a livelihood: in neat, predictable stages. But it is increasingly out of touch with reality. Secure jobs are no longer guaranteed after obtaining a tertiary qualification. Up-to-date and reliable data on graduate unemployment in Africa is hard to come by. A 2014 British Council study estimated that nearly one in four Nigerian graduates (23.1%) were unemployed. In Kenya, the study said, it took graduates an average of five years to secure their first job. In South Africa, graduate unemployment stood at just 5.8% in 2008. By 2023, this had more than doubled to 11.8% . When looking specifically at young graduates aged 20–29 – a useful proxy for those newly entering the job market – the figure is even starker: nearly one in three ( 30.3% ) were unemployed in2023.