WorldSkills Africa Livingstone 2025: Preliminary work begins in Zambia

A joint delegation from WorldSkills International and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) visited Zambia last month to advance the planning of WorldSkills Africa 2025, and expand support for WorldSkills Africa as the regional platform for skills development.

Zambia won the right to host the third WorldSkills Africa Competition in Livingstone, the country’s tourist capital.

The event, set to take place in April 2025, follows the successes of a pilot in Tanzania for east African countries in 2016, WorldSkills Africa Kigali 2018 in Rwanda, and the most recent WorldSkills Africa Swakopmund 2022 in Namibia, all demonstrating the continent’s growing determination to develop the skills of its young people.

WorldSkills Zambia, with the support from the Ministry of Technology and Science, first welcomed WorldSkills International and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) in Livingstone to confirm the venues for the regional skills competition.

They also met with the mayor of Livingstone, Ms Constance Nalishebo Muleabai, who stressed her full support in hosting the event and ensuring a great experience to all participants, as well as with the Minister of Tourism, Mr Rodney Sikumba, who used the opportunity to invite local businesses in Livingstone to join as partners for promoting skills development.

The delegation and officials from AUDA-NEPAD, who were in the country from 15 to 20 January, then travelled to Lusaka to meet with the President of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, who expressed commitment to transform the competition venue into a centre of excellence.

During the meeting, the delegation had the opportunity to brief the President on their observations from their visit to Livingstone, and to provide their recommendations on empowering the Organizing Committee, infrastructure requirements, capacity building for trainers, and engaging with development agencies and industry partners.

In Lusaka, they also met with the Minister of Technology and Science, Mr Felix Mutati, who said WorldSkills Africa Livingston 2025 would have an “all government approach” to provide all the resources and support required to deliver a successful competition.

“Zambia will take this opportunity to champion skills development in Africa. We want to show fellow African countries our experience, and also learn from the other African countries,” assured Mr Mutati. “We can demonstrate that Africa is now strong enough to walk with its legs and be a contributor to global progress.”

The Director Human Capital & Institutional Development from AUDA-NEPAD, Symerre Grey-Johnson, called for the President and the Minister’s support in promoting WorldSkills Africa, and WorldSkills Africa 2025 at the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in February 2024, where the official launch of WorldSkills Africa will also take place.

“Building on WorldSkills Africa Swakopmund 2022, it was felt that the hosting of the next WorldSkills Africa Competition should be more African-led. We want to stress the message WorldSkills Livingston 2025 will be an African event that will change the way we see skills, Technical and Vocational Education and Training. We believe that if Zambia was to send that message, it would be supported by the 55 member states,” said Mr Grey-Johnson.

The delegation met with other key stakeholders from the business sector and other branches of Government who will play an important role in a successful WorldSkills Africa Livingstone 2025 and the legacy. Thanks to a high level of commitment from WorldSkills Zambia’s project team, the delegation left with a positive outlook for the road ahead.

A pre-launch of WorldSkills Africa was announced at WorldSkills General Assembly 2023 in Dublin last September.

For more information on skills development in Africa, WorldSkills Africa Competitions, and the WorldSkills movement in the continent, visit the WorldSkills Africa website.