Today, more than six in ten Africans are under twenty-six years old. That “youthquake” is the product of rapid population growth on the continent, fueled by high fertility rates and falling infant mortality. But that population boom—having accelerated during the last half century—is also set to result in an increase in Africa’s elderly population. Looking forward, the number of Africans aged sixty or over is set to grow from 46 million today to 235 million by 2050 and 694 million by the century’s end.
There is risk of a build up of demographic pressure as urbanization erodes traditional family-based elder-care systems. One billion Africans are expected to move from rural, largely multigenerational households to cities by 2050. National long-term care systems for senior citizens are few and far between, but countries such as Mauritius, Seychelles, and South Africa have established such systems for their senior citizens. Just 22.7 percent of elderly Sub-Saharan Africans receive pensions, leaving many in poverty.
To avoid a demographic disaster, African elderly populations will need more support—and that presents an opportunity for African governments, entrepreneurs, and investors, who all play a critical role in unlocking the economic potential of this “silver surge” and in creating a new model for elderly care.
More revenue for funding health and social care for the elderly lies ahead in Africa, as over the coming decades, more young people will enter the workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world, contributing to state revenue through income tax (although 72.6 million new jobs will need to be created by 2050 to employ all these young people). The continent, by continuing to improve its healthcare standards, could also recover some of the $426 billion in productivity lost annually to diseases among seniors.
Expanding pension coverage should be a top priority to ensure older Africans’ prosperity. While more than half of Sub-Saharan Africans do not have a traditional bank account and more than 80 percent of African employment is informal, African pension funds now manage assets totaling around $350 billion. Leading the way are countries such as Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Africa, with Namibia’s public fund managing assets exceeding its gross domestic product. Governments should pass new laws both to expand access to financial services for all and to make pension contributions more attractive to citizens, by offering tax breaks or even matching contributions.
African pension funds can also help bridge the continent’s annual $100 billion infrastructure financing gap. Many funds focus on investing in listed equities abroad or in government securities due to a perceived lack of bankable local projects. But initiatives such as the Kenya Pension Funds Investment Consortium (which has committed $200 million to domestic infrastructure investment over five years) demonstrate what’s possible. Development financial institutions can help derisk local investments, channeling resources into unlocking growth and job creation.
In addition to passing policies that expand pension contributions, African governments should pass stricter regulations to ensure the safety and dignity of care home residents—the need for such regulations has been highlighted by high-profile scandals involving mistreatment and neglect in some care homes. While many African families prefer to care for their elderly at home, urbanization and demographic change will make some form of live-in residential care necessary for an increasing number of families.
The continent’s “silver economy” will create opportunities for social entrepreneurs to develop new models for care at home, avoiding the Western model which has resulted in institutionalization and loneliness. Innovators like South Africa’s Ernest Majenge, who designed an off-road wheelchair, and Nigeria’s Greymate Care, which connects families with vetted caregivers through an app, exemplify this potential.
The recent 2025 Africa Tech Festival demonstrated that African tech firms are well-positioned to create innovative solutions for the elderly. Companies such as BlackRhino VR and Ìmísí 3D demonstrate the potential for African virtual-reality experiences, with studies showing that group-based virtual-reality activities improve cognition and foster social connections among seniors. Zipline’s drone deliveries of medicine to rural elders in Rwanda demonstrate how technology can meet healthcare needs while driving economic growth.
Advances in artificial intelligence and wearable technology position firms, such as Nigeria’s Nextwear Technologies, to enable real-time health monitoring and personalized support for Africa’s older adults. Research suggests the market for wearable medical devices in Africa and the Middle East will surpass two billion dollars by 2030 and is set to further increase as the continent’s elderly population expands.
Africa’s demographic transformation presents an opportunity for African governments, innovators, and entrepreneurs. They could potentially reimagine aging and unlock economic growth associated with the “silver surge.” Africa can set a global standard for dignity and care, proving that its elders are not a burden but a source of prosperity and resilience.
Tom Bonsundy-O’Bryan is a fellow at the ’s Africa Center and Meta’s head of misinformation policy for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
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Image: A woman dances as she uses a virtual reality device at a home for the elderly in Maryland, Lagos, Nigeria on April 28, 2022. Picture taken April 28, 2022. Photo via REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja.
