Digital skills for youth employment in Africa: a systematic review

Purpose The purpose of this review is to quantify patterns on how digital skills relate to youth employment in Africa through a structured narrative synthesis. Africa’s youthful population is growing rapidly, with the rate of youth unemployment exceeding global averages. Digital skills have become essential for employment in today’s evolving labour market. Design/methodology/approach Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review across four major databases (Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO and Dimensions). The review focused on 23 peer-reviewed quantitative studies from 2015 to 2025 that examined digital skills and youth employment outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Findings All studies were in the direction of a positive relationship between digital skills and improved employment prospects for the youth. Only 10 of the 23 found significant effects. Most interventions focused on basic digital literacy; however, evidence suggests that intermediate and advanced skills have a stronger impact on employment. The integration of soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving and job search skills, further enhances employability. Practical implications Youth employment interventions should move beyond basic digital literacy to include intermediate and advanced skills, which are scarce in Africa’s youth, but are associated with better employment outcomes. Evidence shows that such higher-level skills can boost employability by up to 30% in jobs of the future, with the youth also ranking them most valuable for self-employment. Originality/value This review provides a first synthesis of the quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of digital skills interventions and youth employment in Africa.