The CEO and founder of Elephonic Mobile Technology, Kennedy Liswani (34) has said it is vital for the Namibian youth to be prepared for the 4th industrial revolution to harness the power of current technological advancements.
He was speaking at the Youth and Technology event held at Keetmanshoop in the //Kharas region hosted by the Ministry of International Relations and Corporations. “The deliberate action and a change of attitude will position the youth strategically and give them the advantage to exploit the advantages of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” said Liswani.
He further said the labour market of the future would require new skills including digital fluency, creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration, empathy and adaptability. “With these new demands in place, it would be a catastrophic mistake of Namibia not to strengthen her biggest asset: the youth who make up more than 60% of the country’s population,” elaborated Liswani.
At the same occasion, Lefa’s co-founder and operations manager Kalipi Aluvilu said there are youth perspectives on how major socio-economic trends are reshaping the future of the global economy but they are constantly hampered by massive disturbances. “The four most serious national issues according to African youth are government accountability and transparency/corruption, lack of economic opportunity and employment, poverty- inequality, income, discrimination,” he believed.
Aluvilu mentioned that the youth are driven by social needs – the need to create, impact and exercise their autonomy while staying connected to the world within the realm of both real and virtual communities. “Young people seem optimistic about technology and the benefits it may bring to society at large,” stated Aluvilu.
Lefa has also largely contributed and is using technology to its advantage. Lefa is a shuttle service app requesting application that connects passengers and drivers. For this to take place, passengers download the mobile application and are required to register by entering a valid cellphone number and email address.
Talking to Youth Corner, Aluvilu said the transportation company has about 40 independent drivers as far as job creation is concerned, especially for the youth.
Aluvilu concluded with encouraging the youth to identify the global, national and local challenges and opportunities that interest them. “Find ways and engage with appropriate stakeholders, make sure you leverage technology to make a social, economic impact.” -psiririka@nepc.com.na