The 2026 YouthConnekt National Summit has officially opened at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka under the theme “Green Hustle: Cultivating Wealth, Creating Jobs.” The summit places young people at the centre of Zambia’s economic transformation and highlights the role they can play in building businesses, creating employment and developing new solutions. The theme comes at a time when Zambia is seeking to increase production, investment and economic activity while creating more opportunities for its growing youth population. Vice President Dr. W.K. Mutale-Nalumango said the gathering provides an important platform for young people to connect with skills, networks, opportunities and markets. The event therefore brings together the broader goals of youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable economic development.
The “Green Hustle” theme focuses attention on the connection between economic opportunity and productive activity among young people. Cultivating wealth requires people to develop ideas into businesses, products and services that can generate income and contribute to the wider economy. Creating jobs also requires more than expanding traditional employment opportunities because young people can become entrepreneurs, innovators and employers themselves. This approach places youth participation at the centre of economic growth rather than treating young people only as beneficiaries of development programmes. YouthConnekt provides a platform through which young Zambians can explore these opportunities and develop connections that may help turn their skills and creativity into sustainable livelihoods.
The 2026 YouthConnekt National Summit is taking place as Zambia enters what the Vice President described as a new phase of economic transformation. The government has highlighted positive economic developments including single-digit inflation, increased export value, stable fuel prices and stable currency exchange rates. These developments are presented as an important foundation for building a more productive and inclusive economy. Economic stability can create a more predictable environment for households, businesses and investors to plan their activities. For young entrepreneurs in particular, a stable economic environment can provide better conditions for developing businesses and pursuing longer-term opportunities.
The economic agenda outlined by President Hakainde Hichilema is centred on increasing production, investment, economic activity and employment. The Grow Zambia Agenda places these areas at the heart of the country’s efforts to strengthen economic performance. Young people have an important role to play in each of these areas because they can participate directly in production, business development and innovation. Their involvement can extend across different parts of the economy, depending on their skills, resources and access to opportunities. The YouthConnekt summit provides an opportunity to reinforce this connection between national economic objectives and youth participation.
Increasing production also requires young people to take part in adding value to Zambia’s resources. Instead of focusing only on the extraction or sale of raw resources, value addition involves developing products and services that can generate greater economic activity. Young entrepreneurs can contribute by developing businesses that process resources, introduce new technologies or provide services to producers and consumers. Innovation can also help businesses identify more efficient ways to produce and distribute goods. Supporting young people with relevant skills, networks and access to markets can therefore form an important part of efforts to increase productive capacity.
Employment remains another major issue connected to youth participation in Zambia’s economic development. Young people often enter the labour market with skills, ideas and ambitions but may face challenges in finding suitable opportunities. The message from the YouthConnekt summit is that young people should not only prepare themselves to seek employment but should also have opportunities to create enterprises that employ others. Entrepreneurship can allow individuals to transform ideas into commercial activities while potentially creating additional sources of income for other people. For this to work, however, young entrepreneurs need an enabling environment, useful skills, access to markets and practical opportunities to develop their businesses.
Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment is therefore an important part of the youth development discussion. Creativity and energy can contribute to economic growth when young people have the conditions needed to apply their skills productively. Young entrepreneurs also need opportunities to connect with potential customers, business networks and markets. Skills development can help them improve their ability to manage businesses, develop products and respond to changing market conditions. Youth empowerment therefore involves more than encouraging young people to start businesses because sustainable enterprises also require knowledge, planning, resources and access to economic opportunities.
YouthConnekt provides a platform for these connections by bringing together young people and opportunities for skills, networks and markets. Such platforms can help young people learn from others, discover potential partnerships and gain information that may support their economic activities. They can also create opportunities for young innovators and entrepreneurs to present ideas and develop relationships with people who can contribute to their growth. The value of these opportunities depends on how effectively participants use the connections and knowledge available to them. Young people attending the 2026 YouthConnekt National Summit therefore have an opportunity to engage actively with the discussions and relationships created through the event.
The emphasis on innovation is particularly relevant to Zambia’s economic transformation. Technology and creative thinking can help businesses improve productivity, reach customers and develop new products and services. Young people are often well placed to explore new approaches because they can combine education, digital skills and entrepreneurial ideas in different ways. Innovation does not necessarily require complex technology because it can also involve finding simpler and more efficient ways to solve everyday problems. Creating an environment where young people can test ideas, develop businesses and access markets can help turn innovation into economic activity.
The Green Hustle theme also connects economic opportunity with the need to build productive and sustainable livelihoods. The phrase places attention on the practical work required to turn ideas into income-generating activities and employment. It encourages young people to view economic participation as an active process that involves developing skills, identifying opportunities and creating value. This perspective also supports the broader objective of increasing production and economic activity. By linking youth entrepreneurship with national development, the summit places young people directly within the conversation about Zambia’s economic future.
The opening of the 2026 YouthConnekt National Summit at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka therefore carries a broader message about the role of young people in Zambia’s development. The summit highlights the importance of connecting youth to skills, networks, opportunities and markets while encouraging greater participation in entrepreneurship, innovation and production. The economic developments highlighted at the event provide a context for discussing how young people can contribute to a more productive and inclusive economy. The Grow Zambia Agenda also places production, investment, economic activity and employment at the centre of national economic transformation. For Zambia’s young people, the challenge and opportunity is to turn creativity, skills and ideas into productive enterprises and sustainable livelihoods.
The success of this approach will depend on continued access to practical opportunities and an environment that allows young enterprises to grow. Young people need pathways that connect education and skills with real economic activity. They also need opportunities to reach customers, develop partnerships and build enterprises that can survive beyond their early stages. Government, the private sector and youth-focused platforms can all contribute to creating these connections. The YouthConnekt National Summit provides one avenue for strengthening those relationships and encouraging young people to participate more actively in Zambia’s economic transformation.
The 2026 YouthConnekt National Summit ultimately places a clear focus on youth as participants in Zambia’s economic future. Its theme, “Green Hustle: Cultivating Wealth, Creating Jobs,” reflects the need to combine entrepreneurship, innovation, skills development and productive economic activity. The message from Vice President Dr. W.K. Mutale-Nalumango encourages young people to make full use of platforms that connect them with opportunities, networks and markets. As Zambia pursues the Grow Zambia Agenda, young people can contribute through production, value addition, enterprise development, technology and job creation. Harnessing that potential will remain an important part of efforts to cultivate wealth, create sustainable livelihoods and support Zambia’s continued economic transformation.