At the just-concluded Africa Unlocked 2025 forum hosted by Standard Bank Group, Uganda’s leading businessman and MTN Uganda Chairman, Dr. Charles Mbire delivered a wake-up call to African leaders: the continent must urgently abandon political planning in favour of economically grounded strategies especially if it is to meaningfully include its youth in shaping the future.
The annual summit, held under the theme “Purposeful and Authentic Leadership in Times of Disruption,” featured a heavyweight panel of African business icons, including Sim Tshabalala (CEO, Standard Bank Group), Dr. Mteto Nyati (Executive Chairman, BSG), and Vukani Mngxati (CEO & Chairman, Accenture Africa). Yet it was Mbire’s sharp commentary rooted in Uganda’s current development paradox that stood out as both timely and provocative.
“We churn out students of IT whose shelf life is seven months with no jobs. They end up being Boda Boda riders or shopkeepers,” Mbire lamented.
He added, “How much money do we spend training them? I think we’ve got to have integrated planning. We should move away from political planning and go to economic planning.”
Dr. Mbire’s words captured the urgency many feel about Africa’s youth bulging a demographic dividend that threatens to become a social and economic liability if not meaningfully engaged. He warned that failing to integrate the younger generation into the continent’s economic systems risks transforming them into a “nuclear landmine.”
“The market is a landmine because we are planning politically, not economically,” he said, calling for better linkage between education, skills development, and actual market demands.
In a strong rebuke to the cookie-cutter development models often pushed by global institutions, Mbire also cautioned against “transplanting business strategies” across African countries without appreciating their unique realities.
“You cannot blindly apply a strategy from one African country to the next. The context in Uganda is not the same as in South Africa or Nigeria. That’s why many multinationals fail.” he said.
While his counterparts on the panel echoed various themes, Mbire’s message offered a grounded, practical take on the cost of planning missteps.
Sim Tshabalala, Standard Bank Group CEO, opened the panel with a philosophical reflection on leadership during uncertainty, urging African leaders to “own up to past decisions that left many behind.”
“We instituted policies, strategies, and actions that caused a lot of people to be left behind… and then we should not be surprised that they’re so angry,” Tshabalala said. “Leadership with purpose is a must. Our job as leaders… is to be dealers in hope.”
He added that hope and vision not fear must guide leadership in both corporations and governments.
Dr. Mteto Nyati, who recently turned down a request by the South African President to lead reforms at Eskom, spoke about the importance of self-awareness in leadership. “You need to know what you’re good at, and what you’re not,” he said, citing personal decisions rooted in introspection and courage.
Vukani Mngxati focused on the authenticity crisis among African leaders. “Authentic leaders are the people who really change the world,” he said. “People don’t follow leaders they cannot trust.”
Mngxati also challenged the global tendency to see Africa as a monolithic entity. “We have 54 countries. Johannesburg is not Africa,” he said, drawing laughter and nods of agreement. “You cannot put one strategy from one country into the next. Each country is different.”
The panel concluded with a powerful call to elevate the voice of African youth in both policy and business planning. Mbire once again raised a red flag: “We’ve let their mindset wander. We don’t control it. We don’t guide it. And that’s the problem we are going to solve.”
Tshabalala acknowledged the brilliance of Africa’s Gen Z but warned of the risks of premature exposure to high-stakes leadership. “It would be great to have a 21-year-old on the Standard Bank board. But if they suffered a massive fraud in Nigeria, they wouldn’t know how to manage the regulator, the staff, or the angry client.”
Nonetheless, all speakers agreed on one thing: Africa’s time is now but only if its leaders move from speeches to substance, from short-term fixes to long-term vision, and most importantly, from political calculations to economic planning.
As Mbire summed it up: “Africa must integrate, invest, and involve. If we don’t, we will be led by a frustrated generation we failed to prepare for.”
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