In Africa’s traditional cultures, old age was revered as a time of wisdom, respect, and leadership. Elders played a huge role in preserving culture, offering guidance, and making key decisions in communities. Today, however, as Africa chases the winds of modernity, it risks abandoning its elderly to invisibility, cast into the background of bustling urban life, stripped of dignity, economic independence, and care.
By 2050, the global elderly population is projected to reach 2.1 billion, with more than 76% residing in developing countries. In Africa, individuals aged 60 and above are expected to make up over 10% of the continent’s total population.
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The erosion of traditional communal systems, combined with weak state policies, leaves ageing Africans facing a bleak and uncertain future. Without structured support, the so-called “third age” is becoming a time of vulnerability rather than deserved rest. The crisis is unfolding quietly, yet the numbers tell a thunderous story.
Africa remains the youngest continent, with a median age of 18.8 years, according to the United Nations Population Division. But hidden beneath this youthful profile is a rapidly growing elderly population. In 2022, the number of people aged 60 and above across Sub-Saharan Africa reached 72 million, and projections suggest this number will more than double to over 157 million by 2050. Northern Africa adds another layer to the crisis, with countries like Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt experiencing a sharp rise in life expectancy and retirement-age populations.
The Reality of Pension and Income Security
Formal pension coverage remains distressingly low across most African countries. According to the International Labour Organisation’s 2023 World Social Protection Report, only 17.4% of older persons in Sub-Saharan Africa receive any form of pension, and among these, many receive inadequate or irregular payments. The root of the problem lies in the region’s labour dynamics; more than 85% of the workforce is informal, making contributions to national pension schemes rare or inconsistent.
In Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) estimates that only about 8.4 million people out of over 70 million working adults are enrolled in the Contributory Pension Scheme. This leaves the vast majority of Nigerian retirees, especially farmers, traders, and artisans, completely uncovered and dependent on family or charity for survival.
Contrast this with South Africa, where the state-funded Older Persons Grant provides monthly payments to over 3.7 million elderly citizens. At R2,090 (about USD 110) per person, this grant is credited with lifting millions of older South Africans out of extreme poverty. However, South Africa remains the exception, not the rule.
Unequal Futures
In Ghana, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme offers cash transfers to poor elderly citizens, but the coverage is limited; only 350,000 out of an estimated million elderly people receive these payments, as per the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Administrative bottlenecks, funding gaps, and poor targeting mechanisms continue to undermine the program’s reach and effectiveness.
Kenya’s Inua Jamii initiative provides a monthly stipend to elderly citizens aged 70 and above, but the payment of KES 2,000 (USD 15) is woefully inadequate amid rising inflation, urban rent pressures, and food price surges. In Zimbabwe, the situation is even more severe. Hyperinflation and currency volatility have rendered pension payments virtually worthless. A retired teacher or civil servant may receive pensions that equate to just a few US dollars a month. In the absence of formal social support, many older Zimbabweans are returning to labour in their 70s, selling vegetables or washing cars to survive.
A Public Health Emergency in the Making
Africa’s life expectancy has been improving, rising from 50 years in 2000 to over 63 years in 2023 (World Health Organisation). However, this increased longevity is not matched by investments in geriatric care or elder-friendly health infrastructure. Most African countries have fewer than one geriatrician per 100,000 elderly persons, and some have none at all.
Moreover, mental health issues among the elderly are seldom addressed. Depression, dementia, and social isolation are widespread but invisible problems. In rural Tanzania, HelpAge International found that over 60% of elderly villagers had not interacted meaningfully with anyone in over a week, highlighting a silent epidemic of loneliness.
Traditionally, care for the elderly was deeply embedded in African family structures. Multi-generational homes were the norm, and children were the social insurance for their ageing parents. Today, this model is rapidly disintegrating. Urban migration, rising costs of living, and the spread of Western individualism have frayed these ties.
What Is Africa Spending on Its Elderly?
Less than 1.5% of GDP is spent on social protection programmes for the elderly across Sub-Saharan Africa. This is significantly below the global average of 6.9%. Many countries do not even have a dedicated budget line for elderly care, relying instead on donor aid or piecemeal local government support.
The AU estimates that to build a sustainable eldercare system, African nations must collectively invest at least $10 billion over the next decade, targeting pensions, healthcare access, elder-friendly housing, and social services. Failing to do so risks not only a humanitarian crisis but also a breakdown of social cohesion.
Countries Getting It Right
Not all is bleak. Mauritius remains a beacon of success in elderly care on the continent. The island nation offers a universal old-age pension of around USD 100 per month, alongside free healthcare, subsidised transportation, and active ageing policies. As a result, Mauritius has one of the highest elderly well-being rankings in Africa, according to the Global AgeWatch Index.
Rwanda is also making significant progress. Its Mutuelle de Santé programme includes the elderly in subsidised health insurance, and recent pilot programmes in collaboration with NGOs are testing home-based care services for the chronically ill elderly.
In Botswana, government housing programmes now include elderly-specific shelters, while mobile clinics regularly visit rural areas to serve immobile senior citizens. Though modest, these steps offer models for broader regional replication.
A Test of Moral and Political Will
Africa stands at a crossroads. It can either treat its elderly as relics of a bygone age or as living archives of resilience, patience, and wisdom. The retirement crisis is more than a fiscal issue; it is a test of Africa’s values, its intergenerational solidarity, and its willingness to build inclusive futures.
Caring for the elderly is not charity; it is repayment. The hands that planted, nursed, taught, built, and prayed for Africa deserve dignity, not disregard. If African nations fail to prepare for the greying wave, the youthful promise of the continent could be overshadowed by a humanitarian failure of its own making.
