( CNN ) -- It may have one of the fastest growing economies in the world -- but if you 're young and out of work in Africa , the future remains bleak . The search for employment is a daily struggle for 24-year-old Sherrif Mohamed . He 's one of millions of young unemployed Africans whose lives have stalled , despite economic growth across the continent . Sherrif lives in Egypt , where until recently he was pursuing a university education . The revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak forced him out of school and into a job market , which has continued to worsen . The uprising kept tourists away and investors out -- and Egypt is yet to recover . Around 30 % of 18 to 29-year-olds are now out of work -- a figure that 's echoed across Africa . Sherrif 's lack of a qualification narrows his employment prospects further . `` Now there are no jobs whatsoever , '' he said . `` I 've tried working in restaurants , coffee shops , clothing stores and lately worked at my brother 's store . But the wages are not sustainable at all . '' Thousands of miles away in Kenya , more disillusioned young adults walk the corridors of the University of Nairobi . Unlike Sherrif , they 'll get to complete their studies and enter the job market as skilled professionals . But with Kenya 's youth unemployment rate standing at 40 % , they feel their prospects of work are equally slim . Eunice Kilonzo is a promising student on the campus . She said : `` I 'm competing with around 700 people to get the same job , probably in the same place . So the chance of getting a job is pretty thin . '' She places the blame firmly at the feet of her government . Eunice feels the job market will not improve in line with economic growth until the education system is revamped . `` If the market is way beyond your education level , there wo n't be productivity . We need to change everything about the education system . I can not go into the library and study a book that was published in 1969 . We are in 2012 . '' For Eunice and Sherriff , economic forecasts make for irrelevant reading . Africa 's economy is expected to grow by 4.5 % this year and by 4.8 % the next , and its youth population is set to double by 2045 , according to the African Economic Outlook report . But the headlines that herald a burgeoning economy are n't translating into the jobs they need . If jobless growth continues , they believe young Africans will continue to find themselves unemployed or , more frequently , underemployed in informal jobs . World Bank Chief Economist Shantayanan Devarajan agrees that creating employment is the biggest hurdle that African nations will have to overcome . `` In low income African countries people ca n't afford to be unemployed . They are working in the informal sector with very low earnings and very low productivity . `` One reason for that low productivity is that these people have had very little education . `` On the other hand it 's a huge opportunity because we can train them and can improve the quality of education . The other point is the rest of the world is aging , so Africa will become the place with all the young people . '' The African Economic Outlook report also speaks of the importance of unlocking the potential offered by the region 's youth . But it says the continent must modernize its industries and develop sustainable private sectors , in order to do so . While , such harsh warnings are not relevant for all of Africa , the sentiment behind them is important . Devarajan agrees that private firms could provide an important source of jobs for the young and says African businessmen are taking advantage of the opportunities available now . `` Macroeconomic policies in Africa have improved inexorably in the last 10 to 15 years , '' he added . `` We 've had commodity price booms in the past but those have n't translated to this kind of sustained growth before . And that means there is hope for a better future for Africa . This is not hype , this is real . ''
Africa 's economy set to grow by 4.5 % this year , youth population to double by 2045 . Almost one third of young Egyptians and one in four young Kenyans out of work . Nairobi student says she 's studying with book published 40 years ago . Young Egyptian struggles to secure work at his brother 's store .