Reimagining Pan-Africanism in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe: An Analysis of Youth Perspectives

Abstract

This paper examines how youth in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are redefining Pan- Africanism in the twenty-first century. Moving beyond traditional state-led approaches, youth are advancing new forms of solidarity through activism, digital expression, entrepreneurship, and cultural production. Comparative analysis reveals that while political and economic conditions vary across the three countries, shared struggles against inequality, unemployment, and exclusion unite youth in their pursuit of justice, dignity, and African self-determination. South African youth channel Pan-African ideals through social movements and cultural activism; Zambian youth through digital innovation and entrepreneurship; and Zimbabwean youth through art and informal networks that resist repression. Together, these experiences signal a shift from Pan-Africanism as an elite political project to a grassroots movement driven by youth agency and creativity. The study concludes that for Pan-Africanism to remain relevant, governments and regional institutions must recognise and support youth as central actors in shaping Africa’s collective future.