Nestlé’s bold ambition to empower 10-million young people by 2030

In November 2024, Nestlé celebrated Africa YOUth Day, reaffirming its commitment to empowering young people across the continent.

Themed “One Africa, One YOUTH: Opportunities at Nestlé”, this event highlighted the Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative focused on employment, agripreneurship and entrepreneurship.

Nestlé’s Africa markets — Central and West Africa, East and Southern Africa and North Africa (part of Middle East and North Africa region) — hosted a joint hybrid celebration, with watch parties in Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and SA, inspiring youth in both rural and urban areas.

This celebration is part of a bold ambition to help 10-million young people worldwide access economic opportunities by 2030, positioning them as the entrepreneurs, innovators and regenerative farmers of the future.

The Africa YOUth Day celebration was a dynamic event that leveraged innovative virtual tools, including the vFairs platform — a virtual event platform enabling interactive, real-time participation through live streams, chat rooms and networking spaces, providing a seamless connection across Africa. 

The celebrations reflected the urgent need for youth-led development on the continent, spotlighting Africa’s vibrant youth demographic (over 420-million-strong, aged between 15 and 35) who represent the continent’s most valuable resource. Nestlé empowers this emerging generation to break through barriers and actively shape their economic futures by equipping young people with skills, knowledge and access to mentorship.

The programme featured inspiring speakers, including Global Citizen’s youth development director Lipalesa Morake and representatives from Nestlé. They explored how youth can build careers, start businesses and drive sustainable food production.

Desiree Zikalala, Nestlé’s head of talent for Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa, discussed training and apprenticeships for essential workplace skills under the employment pillar. Cristina Vasquez, Nestlé Global’s youth entrepreneurship platform manager, shared tips on launching businesses and leveraging digital tools. For the agripreneurship pillar, Andries Malate, agri services and production manager for Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR), highlighted making agriculture appealing and profitable through regenerative practices.

The Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative is grounded in the belief that young people are essential to regenerating and sustaining communities. From fresh ideas to diverse perspectives, youth energise the company’s work while revitalising local economies. This initiative does more than open doors to apprenticeships, traineeships and job opportunities. For young farmers, it provides training in regenerative agriculture — a farming approach that restores soil health, reduces environmental impact and strengthens the entire food system. By nurturing young agripreneurs, Nestlé encourages them to view farming not only as a livelihood, but as a business that supports the future of food security.

The event’s impact reached far and wide, with more than 375 people attending in person and over 760 virtually. Attendees also benefitted from prizes, mentorship opportunities and e-learning vouchers to help them apply what they learnt beyond the event.

A standout moment included the personal success stories from beneficiaries of the Nestlé Needs YOUth programme. A young entrepreneur, Karen Ramzy of Nestlé Egypt, shared her inspiring journey from apprentice to community leader, exemplifying how the initiative empowers youth to drive positive change through employment and employability. 

Actress, poultry farmer, and Farming in Heels founder Kamohelo Bombe spoke about the many opportunities available for women in farming, especially around funding, poultry farming and agripreneurship.

Trade asset manager Oseni-olawale Oluwaseun of Nestlé Nigeria elaborated on the company’s My Own Business (MYOWBU) initiative, which encourages people in Central and West Africa to develop a career and gain financial independence through entrepreneurship.

Globally, Nestlé supports youth through the Global Alliance for YOUth, a coalition of 25 companies focused on equipping young people with future-ready skills. This alliance has enabled millions of youths to find employment or start businesses.

This article was sponsored by Nestlé.