Two young emaSwati join Africa’s Youth conversation

By Mlandvo Mbhekwa Mkhweli (guest writer)

For four days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two young Emaswati found themselves in a room with young people from across Africa, exchanging ideas about leadership, participation, peacebuilding and what it means to have a voice in shaping the continent.

Badelisile Bianca Mdluli and Mlandvo Mbhekwa Mkhweli represented Eswatini at the African Union Continental Youth Capacity-Building Programme on AU Shared Values Instruments, held from 25 to 28 August 2026.

The programme, organised through the African Union Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, brought young people together for practical sessions on democratic governance, youth participation, leadership and peacebuilding.

For the two Eswatini representatives, however, the experience went beyond the formal programme.

It was also an opportunity to meet young people from different parts of Africa, hear their experiences and discover just how much connects young Africans despite the differences between their countries.

The programme opened with an introduction to the African Union, its decision-making structures and the frameworks that guide its work.

Participants were also taken through the role young people can play within these structures, including participation in electoral processes and different ways of becoming involved in governance.

Rather than keeping the sessions entirely classroom-based, participants were given practical exercises and role plays that required them to communicate, negotiate and work through different situations.

There were sessions on emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, communication, youth participation and the barriers that often prevent young people from becoming involved in decision-making.

The programme also explored dispute resolution, negotiation and mediation, youth advocacy and lobbying, digital leadership and solution building.

For Mkhweli, one of the biggest takeaways was that youth participation cannot simply mean putting young people in a room and asking them to speak.

Young people also need to understand the systems they are entering.

That means knowing how decisions are made, understanding how to communicate ideas, being able to negotiate and advocate, and having the practical skills to turn those ideas into action.

Those lessons became particularly relevant during the interactive parts of the programme, where participants had to work together rather than simply listen to presentations.

But some of the most memorable moments happened outside the training room.

With participants arriving from different African countries, the programme created its own small meeting point for stories, cultures and experiences.

Conversations moved beyond the official sessions and into discussions about home, work, education, opportunities and the challenges facing young people in different parts of the continent.

Despite coming from different countries, many of the concerns sounded familiar.

Employment remains an important issue for young Africans. So are education, migration, access to opportunities, participation in public life and the search for ways to build better communities.

The similarities offered another perspective on the idea of an African youth community.

For Mkhweli, the experience also brought the responsibility of returning home into focus.

Being part of a continental programme, he noted, should not end when participants leave the venue or receive their certificates.

There is value in bringing the knowledge, relationships and ideas gained from such opportunities back into local communities.

That is particularly relevant to his own work. Mkhweli’s interests sit across youth development, systems innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

Through RE-versal, he has worked with young people on community innovation and environmental initiatives, including youth participation in environmental mapping and digital projects.

He also serves as Committee Secretary of the Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution Committee of the Pan-African Youth Parliament, where his work has exposed him to issues involving youth, migration, economic opportunities, governance and regional stability.

The Addis Ababa programme provided another opportunity to connect those interests with practical experience in continental governance and youth participation.

The experience was not limited to conference rooms. As part of the programme, participants visited several sites in Addis Ababa, including the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, the Palace Museum and the Ethiopian Science Museum.

The visits offered a different side of the trip, connecting the participants with Ethiopia’s history, education and cultural heritage while also placing the programme within a broader Pan-African context.

For young people visiting from outside Ethiopia, the opportunity to experience Addis Ababa beyond the formal programme added another layer to the trip.

The city itself became part of the learning experience, with its historical sites and institutions offering a glimpse into a country whose history has played an important role in the story of Africa.

The programme concluded with a certificate ceremony, formally marking the end of the four-day programme.

For Mdluli and Mkhweli, however, the end of the programme also marked the beginning of the next part of the experience,returning to Eswatini and considering what to do with what they had learned.

Their participation placed Eswatini in a continental youth space at a time when conversations about the role of young Africans continue to grow.

For Mkhweli, that representation carries meaning beyond simply attending an international programme.

The challenge is to ensure that opportunities like this do not remain individual achievements.

The knowledge has to be shared. The relationships have to be maintained.