DW launches a YouTube channel aimed at the youth

21 Jan 2019

Deutsche Welle has launched a weekly YouTube show to engage the youth on the African continent on issues facing them in Africa.

DW launches a YouTube channel aimed at the youth

Starting January 18,2019, Deutsche Welle’s debate platform for the young generation on the African continent, The 77 Percent, will engage its viewers with a weekly YouTube show on its own YouTube channel.

A weekly YouTube-show addressing the most pressing issues facing the young generation across Africa will be at the heart of DW Africa’s newest media channel. The three hosts, Wanjiku Mwaura, Eddy Micah Junior and Edith Kimani put their personal stamp on critical topics with additional input from young Africans and experts.

Deutsche Welle launches multimedia project for African youth

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Segments of the program will be produced in cities as well as rural areas across Africa with the aim of casting a spotlight on the challenges African youth face on the ground and presenting some of the innovative solutions being implemented to address them.

On the YouTube channel, users are invited to debate the topics of the show and suggest other issues that should be discussed. That’s what host Wanjiku Mwaura likes best about the new format: “The 77% show is exciting because I have a chance to interact with our core audience. It’s a platform where I listen to their views and also get to share mine during the discussion.”

According to a World Bank report, 77 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa are younger than 35.

According to a World Bank report, 77 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa are younger than 35. By 2050, around 1.8 billion young Africans will be attending school, studying and looking for jobs. These young people are connecting with each other on social media platforms.

While they make up three quarters of the population, their voices are not always being heard. The 77 percent is DW’s multimedia project for young people in Africa, presented in six languages, which links social media content and reports with radio talk shows and public debates.

“To them, The 77 Percent is DW's offer for dialogue,” says Claus Stäcker, head of DW Africa services. “I am delighted that we now have a presence on YouTube as well.”

Users will find inspirational reports about young Africans who have succeeded in fulfilling their dreams and are making a difference in their communities. Young celebrities will be presenting portraits of African cities, giving insight to life in their home towns. Fans of DW’s satire series about the Minister of Impending Projects, produced by the Zimbabwean comedy group, Zambezi News, will also find new episodes on the YouTube-channel.

Almost 60 million Africans tune into at least one DW program a week and more than four million follow DW on Facebook.