Africa’s weak supply response has been identified as the most important impediment to the continent’s increase in
production. The paper addresses the important human capital supply-side aspect of Africa’s on-going structural
transformation, which is a pre-condition for increasing Africa’s supply capacity. We proceed by drawing on the
overview chapter of the 7th edition of the AEO Report, that focuses on technical and vocational skills development
(TVSD). This is done by examining 35 countries, which together accounts for some 87 per cent of Africa’s
population and 95 per cent of its economic output. The paper briefly describes the evolution of TVSD in national and
international agendas. Then it discusses the delivery of TVSD in the informal sector and formal sector in Africa. We
then analyse access to TVSD in Africa, which is followed by a presentation of results from lessons learned from
TVSD Reforms in the 35 African countries surveyed. Challenges and bottlenecks are explored, while highlighting a
few examples of good practices. Finally, we conclude by discussing a few policy implications and by identifying
priorities for further research.