By 
Yango Group, a global tech company, is proud to announce the launch of the Yango Fellowship in six African countries: Zambia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal.
The fellowship, first launched successfully in 2024, now enters a new multi-country phase aimed at empowering young STEM innovators across the continent.
Following the success of the program in Zambia and Ivory Coast the expandedYango Fellowship will provide financial support, expert guidance, and access to a cross-country community of Fellows working on impactful solutions for their communities.
Many of the Zambian cohort of Yango Fellows in the previous year balanced their studies with multiple jobs, yet remained determined to bring new ideas to life in fields ranging from Medicine and Engineering to Agriculture, Cybersecurity, and Architecture. The Fellows went through innovation workshops, community outreach programs, communication masterclasses as well as introduction to mental health and volunteering.
Across Africa, the demand for skilled scientists, engineers, and technologists far exceeds the number of graduates entering these fields. The World Bank estimates a shortage of more than 2.5 million STEM professionals needed to support sustainable economic growth across the continent. At the same time, Africa’s rapidly growing youth population faces a persistent skills gap: only 10–15% of young people have access to quality digital or technical training, and fewer than 5% gain experience in fields such as programming, data analysis, or cybersecurity.
With 10–12 million young people entering the labor market each year and only about 3 million formal jobs created annually, the need for practical STEM education, mentorship, and career pathways is urgent. By expanding the fellowship to new regions, Yango aims to help build a diverse, capable, and future-ready STEM workforce, empowering students to develop solutions for challenges faced by their communities.
According to the Zambian National STEM Foundation, Zambia faces a severe shortage of STEM professionals, with an estimated 50% of STEM jobs going unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. In Zambia, only 35% of university graduates in STEM fields are women, despite girls making up nearly half of the total student population. In addition, Zambia’s youth unemployment rate remains high at around 22%. STEM careers have been identified as critical in reducing unemployment and driving economic growth, making the Yango Fellowship a vital initiative for fostering job-ready graduates.
Kabanda Chewe, Country Head for Yango Zambia said ‘’Last year we met amazing young people, the first Yango Fellows, who have shown true leadership and skill. They are now interning in top impact organisations in Zambia and kick-starting their careers while serving as role models for others, doing outreach programs for their communities. We couldn’t be prouder! Now it’s time for the new challenge: the next cohort of Zambian Yango Fellows will work together with Fellows from other countries of Yango business. Together they will create an interconnected Africa, collaborate and expand beyond their own country to bring meaningful change and impact’’
By encouraging youth and female applicants, The Yango Fellowship, aims to address these gaps and empower more youth and women in STEM careers and provide selected students with annual financial assistance to meet basic needs, access to guidance from experienced industry experts, and exclusive workshops designed to enhance their professional skills.
Studies show that increasing STEM graduates by even 1% annually could boost Zambia’s GDP growth by 2-3%, driven by higher productivity and innovation across sectors such as agriculture, energy, and technology.
Michelo Moonga, director of Zambian STEM Foundation said: ‘’As the Foundation, we view this Fellowship as a strategic platform to empower exceptional young innovators who demonstrate curiosity, leadership and a strong commitment to solve real-world challenges through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The Yango Fellowship is built on the belief that innovation thrives when promising thinkers are supported with the right resources. We will be identifying potential, cultivate it through learning experiences and mentorship, and position STEM leaders to create meaningful impact in their communities, their industries and the world at large’’
Yango’s presence in Zambia extends beyond economic contributions; it is also deeply invested in social development. Yango has been running not only Fellowship programs and Traffic Safety initiatives for school kids, but also sponsored Urban Mobility Hackathons for hundreds of data science students and young professionals to show their skill while learning how to predict traffic in Lusaka in various conditions. Empowering youth in Zambia has been one of the major corporate responsibility streams for Yango.
How to Apply
Applications are open to university students aged 18–25 studying STEM fields in any of the six participating countries. Candidates are encouraged to apply by the 26th of January through: https ://yangofellowship.com.
About the Zambian National STEM Foundation
Established in 2018, the Zambian National STEM Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing STEM education and skills development. Its mission is to empower youth with the knowledge and tools needed to contribute to national development and global competitiveness.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments