KIGALI, Rwanda — Young Africans have been challenged to take a leading role in advancing continental integration and dismantling lingering colonial mindsets that continue to hinder Africa’s development.
Speaking during the HERFRICAA Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, Vitality Wellness lead consultant Edith Maziofa Tapfuma said the continent’s future rests on a generation willing to embrace collaboration, innovation and a shared vision that transcends national boundaries.
She said Africa’s development agenda should be driven by collective interests rather than narrow national priorities, urging young people to see themselves as part of a broader African community with shared aspirations and challenges.
Maziofa Tapfuma noted that while previous generations were shaped by liberation struggles and the fight against colonial rule, today’s youth have an opportunity to chart a different path focused on integration, economic cooperation and people-centred development.
She said many African leaders continue to operate within frameworks influenced by the continent’s colonial past and the struggle to safeguard sovereignty, factors that have often slowed efforts towards greater regional cooperation.
The wellness consultant said young people possess the creativity, technological skills and global outlook needed to strengthen ties across the continent and foster a new narrative about Africa’s place in the world.
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She also highlighted how colonialism left Africa divided through different languages and education systems, creating barriers among English, French, Portuguese and Arabic-speaking nations.
According to Maziofa Tapfuma, these divisions were compounded by perceptions of inferiority that led many Africans to underestimate the continent’s capabilities and potential.
She said it was critical for Africans to reject stereotypes portraying the continent as poor and dependent, arguing that Africa remains central to global economic growth due to its natural resources, youthful population and expanding innovation ecosystem.
Maziofa Tapfuma stressed that Africa’s future depends on a generation confident in its identity and committed to building stronger partnerships across borders.
The HERFRICAA Summit brought together women leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and emerging changemakers from across the continent to exchange ideas on leadership, innovation, economic empowerment and Africa’s development trajectory.