Africa Daily – October 27, 2025

Tanzanian Elections: What Issues Are Young People Concerned About?

Episode Overview

This episode of Africa Daily zeroes in on the issues surrounding Tanzania's upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, with a specific focus on the youth demographic (ages 18-35), which makes up 34% of the country’s population. Host Asma Khalid, along with contributors and guests, explores whether young Tanzanians' challenges are being addressed, their political engagement, and how they perceive the electoral process. The episode also probes the broader African context through stories on the dark side of football recruitment and the expanding influence of outsourcing in African economies.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Tanzanian Elections and the Youth Vote

[02:34 - 12:06]

Electoral Landscape and Context

• Tanzania’s system: President and Vice-President elected by popular vote for five-year terms. Dominated by ruling party CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) since the 1960s.
• Current context: President Samia Suluhu Hassan is running for the first time as incumbent after stepping up following President Magufuli’s death in 2021.
• Opposition sidelined: Major opposition parties (Chadema, ACT) barred from contesting; several candidates banned.
• Key issues: Access to clean water, electricity, education, jobs.
• Voter turnout concerns: Fear, repression, and lack of real contest discourage participation, especially among youth.

Youth Perspectives

• Joseph Brighton Malekela (30, Exec. Director, African Leadership Initiatives for Impact):

  • Stresses the need for legal youth quotas for decision-making.
  • Desires peaceful and inclusive elections, and post-election reconciliation.
  • Highlights the mismatch between education and job market demands, unemployment, access to finance, and other youth challenges.
  • Quote: "What I exactly want as a young person is to see the leaders that are coming into power deal with the challenges of young people in Tanzania." [05:14]

• Lovelet Shemeh (29, Policy & Political Analyst, Dar es Salaam):

  • Feels youth concerns are missing from manifestos: "It's the same old stories and tales that we've heard in previous elections...not particular to improving the lives of young people." [06:15]
  • Criticizes youth celebrities for focusing on entertainment rather than substantive advocacy in campaigns; points out urban-rural youth divide.
  • On celebrity endorsements: "We as young people also have to hold ourselves into account whenever we get these opportunities to speak to authority. Do we actually speak the relevant issues that youth face?" [07:34]
  • On CCM’s legacy: Praises the party’s role in maintaining unity and peace ("we must give them their flowers"), but recognizes the need for progress and broader inclusion. [10:50]

2. The Dark Side of Football Recruitment

[12:06 - 23:38]

Tragedy of Sheikh Touré

• Case: 20-year-old Senegalese footballer lured to Ghana by fake agents, kidnapped, and killed.
• Explanation by Sebastian Sommerfield (Former Zimbabwean player/academy owner):
  • Highlights widespread football trafficking and the need for regulated, FIFA-licensed agents.
  • Quote: "To be lured from Senegal to Ghana and then to essentially get human trafficked through the sport we love is totally not okay." [12:59]

How Football Scams Work

• Nathan Kwao (Ghanaian Sports Journalist):
  • Details how agents convince hopefuls with promises of foreign contracts; notes that many don’t verify agent credentials.
  • Ghana’s football authorities have enforced stricter regulations (FIFA TMS), but loopholes remain.
  • Advice: "It's very incumbent for young footballers not to take decisions alone...consult people who are in general." [20:03]
  • Verification relies on checking FIFA certification and contacting trusted local football officials/journalists.

3. Africa’s Outsourcing Boom

[23:38 - 34:22]

Outsourcing as Opportunity

• Esetu Dwili (31, South African Accountant):
  • Shares personal story of upward mobility through BPO, earnings doubled, global exposure, now supporting family.
  • Quote: "I've built strong professional relationships, one of which led to my recent full time appointment...the outsourcing sector is playing a vital role in empowering young South African professionals, offering them global exposure and renewed hope for career advancement." [25:19]

Insights from Mona Nina Idrisu (African Centre for Economic Transformation)

• Africa is seeing a boom in BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) due to affordability and a large, skilled youth population.
• South Africa leads with over 40% of Africa's BPO sector; Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana are emerging players.
• BPO jobs are boosting livelihoods but tend to be short-term, gig-based and precarious.
  • Quote: "...these are contractual type of work, they're precarious in nature and as such, you don't have as much confidence as a young person that you're going to have a job forever..." [29:39]
• African firms sometimes outsource abroad due to local infrastructure gaps, sending some jobs to the Philippines, India, and China.
• Outsourcing promotes inclusion, notably helping women gain safe work-from-home opportunities.
• Growth depends on government and private sector collaboration for training, infrastructure, and sector investment.
• Quote: "...it can be long term if it is combined with other investments in other productive sectors. So it can play a role...Because we have seen it happen in India, for example..." [33:44]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joseph Brighton Malekela (04:13):
  "One of the things which I think needs to be improved is having legal specific quota for young people to be in decision making processes..."

• Lovelet Shemeh (06:14):
  "It's the same old stories and tales that we've heard in previous elections where the premises are still very, very generic. Not any that is very particular to improving the lives of young people..."

• Lovelet Shemeh (10:50):
  "Something that we must acknowledge and appreciate about Chama Cha Mapinduzi is the fact that they've been able to use the machineries and government tools to maintain the atmosphere of unity and peace in Tanzania..."

• Sebastian Sommerfield (12:58):
  "To be lured from Senegal to Ghana and then to essentially get human trafficked through the sport we love is totally not okay."

• Nathan Kwao (20:03):
  "It's very incumbent for young footballers not to take decisions alone...they need to always consult people who are in general."

• Esetu Dwili (25:19):
  "The financial growth I've experienced since entering the outsourcing sector has been significant. My earnings nearly doubled. This increase has enabled me to support my family as I am the sole breadwinner."

• Mona Nina Idrisu (29:39):
  "...these are contractual type of work, they're precarious in nature and as such, you don't have as much confidence as a young person that you're going to have a job forever..."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:34] – Tanzanian election system and context
• [04:13] – Interview: Joseph Brighton Malekela on youth participation and reforms
• [06:14] – Interview: Lovelet Shemeh critiques youth engagement and party legacy
• [12:06] – Reporting: Death of Sheikh Touré and football agent scams
• [12:58] – Interview: Sebastian Sommerfield on football trafficking
• [15:15] – Nathan Kwao details the case and systemic challenges
• [23:38] – Introduction to business process outsourcing in Africa
• [25:19] – Esetu Dwili shares his experience in South Africa’s BPO sector
• [26:48] – Mona Nina Idrisu analyses Africa's outsourcing landscape and future

Tone and Delivery

The episode is direct, informative, and empathetic, featuring young African voices, expert insights, and practical advice, all tied together with a focus on real-world challenges and emerging opportunities for the continent’s youth.