Beyond Limbo: Understanding Waithood and Youth Transition in Africa

Abstract

This paper explores the period of ‘waithood’ in young Africans in light of the socioeconomic difficulties and neoliberal policies. Despite prevailing stereotypes depicting this phase as idleness and despair, the study reveals that many young Africans are actively engaging in strategies such as ‘straining’, ‘hustling’, and establishing fadas to navigate their circumstances. Drawing on case studies and examples across Sub-Saharan Africa, this study emphasizes the varied ways in which young people have responded to the socioeconomic crisis, highlighting their inventiveness, fortitude, and agency in redefining their social roles. Providing examples from the Y’en a Marre! movement, the case of one self-employed young man in Sierra Lone, and the establishment of fadas, the author discusses how young Africans engage in socialization and self-affirmation while coping with their status.