• Youth unemployment in Lesotho reaches nearly 50% among 15–35-year-olds.

• The government launched the YOMA digital platform with UNICEF to improve employability and access to skills.

• Only 48% of the population uses the Internet, which threatens the programme’s adoption.

Lesotho faces one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Southern Africa, with nearly half of young people unable to find work. The government uses digital solutions to expand access to skills, boost employability and create new economic opportunities.

The Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development launched the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) on 26 November in Maseru in partnership with UNICEF. The ministry says the platform aims to remove barriers that limit youth integration, including restricted access to training, digital skills and market opportunities.

YOMA operates as a pan-African digital platform that allows young people to acquire skills, receive mentorship and access economic opportunities. It offers pathways ranging from basic training to matchmaking with companies, NGOs and institutions. Users complete social or environmental “impact missions,” which reward them with digital tokens they can exchange for goods or services such as mobile credit or additional training.

The platform records all user activities in a verifiable digital CV, which increases the visibility and credibility of young jobseekers. YOMA aligns with international skills-development standards and uses a personalised approach. It adapts opportunities to each user’s profile, goals and potential while staying linked to labour-market demand.

Authorities say YOMA supports the government’s strategy to empower young people through accessible digital solutions. The stakes are high in a country where youth represent a large share of the unemployed. Official data estimate unemployment among 15–35-year-olds at nearly 50%, one of the highest ratios in the region.

Officials expect YOMA to improve employability, stimulate self-employment, facilitate access to certified training and generate income through paid missions. The platform also seeks to expand digital literacy in a country where young people still lack the tools to participate in a rapidly digitalising economy.

However, weak connectivity threatens uptake. DataReportal estimates that only 48% of Lesotho’s population used the Internet at the start of 2025, while mobile data costs remain high relative to average income. Rural areas face unstable mobile coverage, which limits access to a fully digital platform. YOMA’s success depends on stronger connectivity, lower access costs and broader awareness campaigns.

By launching in Lesotho, YOMA adds to deployments already underway since 2020 in Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The partnership with UNICEF allows Lesotho to rely on a tested model to broaden access to training, economic opportunities and entrepreneurship.

Samira Njoya