Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, a Zimbabwean-born diplomat celebrated for her work on climate, digital inclusion and youth empowerment, has been appointed as Advisor on Women, Gender and Youth to AU Chairperson Mahmoud Youssif for the 2025–2028 term. At just 36, she is the youngest ever to hold such a senior role, an appointment that underscores her rapid rise through the ranks of African leadership.
Since November 2021, she has served as AU Special Envoy on Youth, a portfolio created to give Africa’s 870 million-strong youth a seat at the table.
Formerly a banker at Standard Chartered and Advisor to Zimbabwe’s Minister of Youth, Mpemba uses a rare mix of private-sector discipline and diplomatic vision.
Her impact is wide-reaching: the Digital-Africa campaign has trained over 4,000 young Africans; a listening tour visiting 30+ countries; planting fruit trees for climate resilience; and co-chairing a WHO commission on youth mental health. She has also been recognised among CNN’s 100 Most Influential African Women and routinely moderates sessions at the UN, WEF, LSE and UNICEF platforms.
Her appointment speaks volumes, it places gender equity, youth voices and pan-African values at the centre of Africa’s policymaking.
