A Digital Generation Rises: Inside Madagascar's Gen Z Uprising

In September 2025, widespread protests erupted across Madagascar, sparked by electricity and water shortages but fuelled by deeper frustrations with inequality, corruption, and political stagnation under President Andry Rajoelina. What began as scattered demonstrations in Antananarivo evolved into a nationwide youth-led movement known as Gen Z Madagascar. Organised through digital platforms, the movement blends humour, creativity, and moral urgency, reflecting a new generation’s demand for dignity, accountability, and inclusion. Set against Madagascar’s long history of uprisings, the 2025 protests mark a generational rupture: citizens born after the 2009 crisis are now reclaiming political voice through digital means. The uprising exposes the paradox of a resource-rich yet impoverished nation, where development failures have eroded trust in institutions. By connecting social justice, governance, and climate vulnerability, Gen Z Madagascar redefines political participation in Africa’s island state, transforming scarcity into a call for renewal.