Gen Z Protesters Topple Madagascar’s President — A Warning Sign for Other African Leaders?

A youth-led uprising has once again shaken Madagascar, forcing President Andry Rajoelina from power and reigniting questions about the growing political influence of Africa’s Generation Z.

The 51-year-old former DJ was ousted this week after military forces seized control amid intensifying protests in the capital, Antananarivo. Rajoelina fled the country, marking a dramatic twist in his political journey — one that ironically began in 2009 when he was first brought to power through a similar youth-driven revolt that toppled his predecessor.

This latest upheaval mirrors a rising global pattern of digitally organized movements dominated by Gen Z — those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s — who are demanding accountability, jobs, and reform in the face of growing economic and political frustration.

Across continents, from Africa to Asia, Gen Z protesters are using social media as their most powerful weapon — mobilizing street protests, amplifying dissent, and even bringing down entrenched leaders.

Just weeks before the Madagascar uprising, a wave of youth-led demonstrations in Nepal — triggered by anger over a proposed social media ban, corruption scandals, and unemployment — forced the prime minister out of office.

And in 2024, Bangladesh witnessed its own “Gen Z revolution”, where student-led protests culminated in the resignation of long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after years of mounting discontent.

Analysts say these events highlight a generational shift in global politics — one where young people, armed with technology and a collective voice, are challenging power structures that have long seemed unshakable.

As youth frustration grows across Africa — from Nigeria to Sudan, Kenya to South Africa — many observers warn that other leaders could face similar reckonings unless they urgently address economic inequality, corruption, and social exclusion.

The fall of Rajoelina, analysts say, may just be the beginning of a new political era defined by the power and impatience of a hyper-connected generation that refuses to be ignored.