Deadline: January 15, 2026

Editors: Ufuoma Akpojivi, Job Mwaura, Teke Ngomba & Jimmy Ochieng 

Focus of Study:

A growing body of scholarship has interrogated the dynamics of electoral politics in Africa with a particular emphasis on the implications of democratic backsliding, the resurgence of coups, and the shifting landscape of citizen engagement (see Ndlela and Mano 2020, Lilleker and Mutsvairo 2026). The electoral cycles of 2022 to 2025 have seen a significant number of African states, such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya, amongst others, conduct elections, revealing a salient and often underestimated actor:  Generation Z (Gen Z). According to Afrobarometer, 60% of Africa’s population consists of individuals aged 25 and below, most of whom fall within the Gen Z category (born between 1997-2012), and are considered to be digitally native (BBC n/d).  This means that these Gen Zs are not only the future generation that will (re)shape politics and democratic processes in the continent, but their voices cannot be silenced or ignored in the democratic process, as their actions have a broader implication on democracy and democratic sustenance. 

Rice and Moffet (2021) argue that Gen Z’s political behaviour stands apart from that of older generations. While the older generation of voters may tend towards caution and compromise,  Gen Zs, on the other hand, are less willing to accept poor governance or systemic failure quietly. These inclinations described above are at the heart of recent varied forms of demonstration in countries such as Madagascar, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, where these groups of young Africans have demanded good governance.   Their constant exposure and access to information shape the forms and manner of their political engagement and participation. Their expressions are grounded in their critique of political and economic failures of African states, as these factors have formed the catalyst of their engagement (Mbugua 2025). 

In light of the above, this proposed edited collection seeks to understand how Gen Zs are influencing political participation, electoral behaviours and democratic transformation across the African continent. We are interested in the broader questions of how Gen Z is (re)shaping political participation and elections in Africa? Are there structural or socio-economic barriers to Gen Z’s political participation? If there are, what are these and in what form do they exist? How is Gen Z’s voting behaviour different from other generations, and what is the broader impact of their voting behaviour on the electioneering process? What role, if any, do social media influencers and activists play in shaping the electioneering process and in influencing the political awareness of Gen Zs?  Ultimately, this volume seeks to place Gen Zs at the centre of the current debates about democracy in Africa, not as future citizens, but as active political agents in the present.

We welcome submissions that address but are not limited to the following themes related to Gen Zs in Africa:

• Political participation and everyday engagement with the state
  
• Psychological factors that influence political participation and engagement (i.e. political interests, efficacy and agency)
  
• Generational shifts in political behaviours, especially concerning electoral choices
  
• Online and offline activism and protest cultures
  
• Civic trust and policy influence
  
• Trust, disillusionment, and civic withdrawal
  
• Misinformation, disinformation and their impact on Gen Z’s political behaviour
  
• Influencer politics, micro-celebrities, and youth mobilisation
  
• Surveillance, voter suppression and politics of fear
  
• Youth-State relations and the reimagining of political accountability
  
• Informal political spaces and alternative forms of organising

Submission details:

Please, email a chapter proposal of up to 400 words and brief author’s biographical information and affiliations to the editors at ufuoma.akpojivi@gmail.com,  job.mwaura@lmu.de  and jochieng@iu.edu. Decisions on chapter proposals will be communicated to the authors by February 16, 2026. This proposed edited volume is earmarked for publication with a university press. 

Note: We do not require an article publishing charge (APC)

Tentative Timelines: 

January 15, 2026: Abstract submission deadline

February 16, 2026: Notification of decision

May 15, 2026: Deadline for the submission of the full draft

August 31, 2026: Feedback from peer reviewers

November 2, 2026:  Deadline for submission of revised chapter

December 7,  2026: Final decision on chapter submission

February 1, : 2027: Submission of book manuscript to the publisher 

References:

Afrobarometer (2023).  Understanding the Youth’s Perspectives: Highlights of Afrobarometer R9 Findings. Online: https://www.afrobarometer.org/articles/understanding-the-youths-perspective-highlights-of-afrobarometer-r9-findings/#:~:text=Findings%20from%20the%20joint%20webinar,engagement%20with%20the%20youth%20demographic.

BBC (n/d). What is the Gen Z Stare? Online: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zf8kfdm#zvjw3qt,

Lilleker, D. and Mutsvairo, B. (2026). Election Campaigning in Sub-Saharan Africa: Democracy, Societal Cleavages and Social Media.  London: Palgrave

Mbugua, J. (2025). Why Kenyan’s Gen Z Has Taken to the Streets. Journal of Democracy, Online: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/why-kenyas-gen-z-has-taken-to-the-streets/#:~:text=Over%20the%20past%20year%2C%20the%20nation%20has,however%2C%20the%20state%20has%20responded%20with%20force.

Ndela,  M. and Mano, W. (2020). Social Media and Elections in Africa, Volume 1: Theoretical Perspective and Election Campaigns. London: Palgrave.

Rice, L and Moffet, K. (2021). The Political Voices of Generation Z. New York: Routledge.