Advancing youth-centered democratic financing at G20 South Africa side event
Emerging Public Leaders' Executive Director, Abigail Kajumba, and EPL Malawi Alumni Violet Pondakwao, shared vital messages at the Governance Consortium G20 side event held in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office in November.
The partnership between EPL, African Leadership Academy, LEAP Africa, and the ALU Center for Re-imagined Africa, with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, brought together young local leaders to discuss the importance of economic agency and design economic tools that partner with youth as decision-makers to promote democratic financial solutions.
The full-day conference drew youth participants and sector experts from Malawi, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, among other countries, to explore and redefine democratic finance innovations centered on youth inclusion and ownership. Sessions, including the keynote address, lightning talks, design sprints, and network dialogues, focused on youth-driven mechanisms that will lead to long-term investment and embedding Ubuntu, collective responsibility, and innovation in sustainable democratic systems.
Government partnerships with youth ventures
A dedicated Lightning Talks session on “Government Partnerships with Youth Ventures” was facilitated by Abigail, engaging youth leaders, high-profile speakers, and innovators in the room and sharing practical ideas on reimagining governance and financing models to promote democratic accountability and equity.
“Youth innovation coupled with private initiatives like AI in tech can innovate government processes to reduce corruption and benefit financial accountability in Africa. Governments help to legitimate and scale, ensuring policy and safety issues around AI, while the private sector brings capital and technical tools needed. But it is young leaders who bridge them and bring about innovation,” said Abigail.
In the discussions, Violet shared her expertise in public–private collaborations and AI/technology-driven innovation, and presented Treehouse Investment Limited’s Precision Agriculture initiative, which aims to strengthen community-level food security, enhance agricultural productivity, and support Malawi’s economic development.
Youth-Led design in practice
Violet also served as a Youth Facilitator during the Design Sprint, where young African leaders, policymakers, and innovators co-created innovative frameworks for youth-centered democratic financing and governance solutions in real-time.
The Design Sprint enabled collaborative problem-solving, ideation, and practical solution development for sustainable governance and development financing models in Africa. Young professionals identified and discussed various financing models, including crowdfunding and community-based contributions, and technology-enabled civic financing solutions.
Clear themes emerged during the presentations of each modeled solution for the sustainable financing of democracy.
Freedom must be domestically owned and sustained
External dependency undermines accountability and institutional trust
Sovereign, African-led financing mechanisms are critical for sustainable democracy
Moving youth innovation in democracy forward
The messeages and insights from this South Africa G20 side event suggested that African democracies can be financed by African-led solutions as sovereign mechanisms for accountability and national ownership. Democracy is an investment, and governance must be cultivated as a societal asset, with young Africans are prepared to actively participate in designing practical and innovative solutions to build a more sustainable future.
EPL’s participation in the AL for Governance Network has long underscored the importance and impact of investing in youth leadership as change makers in governance across the continent. We are grateful for the opportunities to participate in this consortium to all our partners in the AL for Governance Network and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
"Being part of the G20 side event was deeply affirming. It reminded me how vital it is to trust young leaders with real responsibilities, not just participation. When we’re invited into high-level spaces, we gain more than exposure—we learn, contribute, and carry that knowledge back to strengthen our communities. This experience reinforced my commitment to serve with integrity, think beyond borders, and connect my work in Malawi to the broader African story."
— Violet Pondakwao, EPL Alumni, Malawi
The knowledge, professional networks, and collaborative frameworks expanded upon this year will continue to inform ongoing policy work, private sector initiatives, and youth leadership programming at EPL, enhancing our advocacy of good governance and youth-driven leadership for democratic development.
