Young Africans struggle with jobs, education amid pandemic

Young people across Africa are battling an economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The future looked promising for Tinashe Mapuranga, an intern at a leading bank in Zimbabwe who appeared set to get a staff position as soon as he completed his college degree. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Amid the lockdowns, the 24-year-old was one of the first to be laid off and has no idea when he'll be able to get his degree because of frequent school closures. “It has really affected me a lot in my studies. I have no money to buy data and I don’t have a personal laptop to study online and keep up like what others are doing," said Mapuranga, who lives with his mother in Chitungwiza, a sprawling working-class area southeast of Harare, the capital. “I was supposed to finish in November or December 2021, but as of now, we haven’t completed much of the work,” he said. "Truly speaking, I am not sure when I will finish the degree. I can’t wait to graduate and find a job and do something tangible in life.”